Unexpected Blessings of Harvest

Good Morning!

It's a lovely Autumn morning here at A Mother's Rewards. A stiff breeze is blowing through the house taking any traces of stuffiness with it. Science has just been completed for the day. Such a grand time was had gathering "seedboxes" from the yard. Can you guess what seedboxes are? If you guessed the parts of plants that contain the seeds, you are correct. Our morning reading used this delightful term while pointing out that the seeds are the treasure of the plant. Therefore, the portion of the plant that contains the seeds is a plant's treasure box or seedbox. What a delightful description, and it so perfectly teaches young children exactly how important seeds are to the future of a plant. My three little seedbox gatherers returned with more of these plant treasures than I anticipated. We shall have a fine time examining them after lunch. Such smarties they were; realizing that tomatoes and ears of corn were seedboxes, they brought in some more garden produce too. Did I mention that I am blessed?

Our morning Art lesson focused on pictures portraying images of harvest season. As the children examined the pictures, I asked questions concerning what they were observing in the scenes. The insight that came from them amazed me. Each child studied the same images, yet their individual observations varied greatly. As they responded I suddenly realized that God was giving me quick glimpses into their hearts. By listening to what each child was saying, I could begin to understand how they process what their eyes see and what they see when they look at different situations. As we studied a picture of The Gleaner, a painting by Jules Breton, my four-year-old repeatedly spoke of the woman gathering the wheat to take home and feed her family. The fact that this woman was caring for her family was what made this same four-year-old choose this picture as her favorite from among the others we studied this morning; it was a glimpse into my child's heart.

The best part of the morning was when we experienced the delight and wonder as an unexpected "God Moment" unfolded in our midst. Imagine our surprise and delight when as we began reading about Jules Breton, the artist who painted The Gleaner, and found that he is the same Jules who is written about in the book we are reading for Science every day! It was a surprise to me as well. I had read the artist's name while preparing for today, but I hadn't read the description concerning him. Eyes grew wide and mouths dropped open then turned into huge smiles as we began to realize Jules the artist and Jules the boy in our Science book are one and the same. Unexpected blessings sent from the Father to boost the faith of His children and testify of His love for them, I could teach and talk for a hundred years and never impart to them the Father's love so thoroughly and completely as that one, unexpected blessing did. God is good---ALL THE TIME!!! Many will try and convince us that there is no God, that He's just a myth, but my children know better for they have seen Him work and experienced His loving care.

Our minds are on the harvest season this morning. Harvest is a time of hard work and abundance. A time to give thanks and rejoice in the provision from the Lord. "A harvest of righteousness" kept running through my head so I've looked it up to share.

"And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God's will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. James 3:18 AMP I think there is a lot of truth to harvest out of that verse. Yes, harvest is indeed hard work, blessed hard work. Could this be why the laborers are few? As we continue on through the harvest season, I pray that we can say along with author of this poem:

"Let me but do my work from day to day,

In field or forest, at the desk or loom,

In the roaring market-place or tranquil room;

Let me but find it in my heart to say,

When vagrant wishes beckon me astray,

"

This is my work; my blessing, not my doom;

Of all who live, I am the one by whom

This work can best be done in the right way."

Then shall I see it not too great, nor small,

To suit my spirit and to prove my powers;

Then shall I cheerful greet the laboring hours,

And cheerful turn, when the long shadows fall

At eventide, to play and love and rest,

Because I know for me my work is best."

Henry Van Dyke