I am not a farmer. I have never planted a single thing in my life. The closest that I have gotten to the dirt is when my dad would make me pull weeds in the front yard. I HATED it. My back would hurt, it was boring, dirt would get in my fingernails, and it was so boring. So, I think because of that portion of my upbringing, I have never had any kind of desire to work with dirt or land. Well, and I am pretty darn impatient so I am probably not wired like I would need to be to be a successful farmer 🙂

I say all of this as evidence that what I am about to share with you today, had to have been Jesus graciously enlightening me in a season of throwing my hands up in the air. For about 6 weeks it has just felt like I was a hamster in a hamster wheel. Running hard and fast, but not getting anywhere.

I was talking about my hamster ways with a friend a couple weeks ago, and so gently I sensed Jesus say, “you are farmer”.  I started thinking about the process of farming. But, because I don’t know much about it, I needed to talk to friends and google about it. From research, I discovered that I am in the beginning  stages of the farming. As in, getting the ground ready. As in, the ground is not even ready for seeds. As in, the harvest is far from happening. As in, hamster in the wheel feeling.

Honestly, instead of feeling discouraged, I was so encouraged and full of hope. Purpose and meaning surfaced. Without healthy ground, a healthy harvest won’t grow. EVERY step of the process is so necessary in farming. Skipping steps or rushing steps will only, “keep the produce from growing to their potential or depending on the soil, they may not grow at all or have a weak root system and die” – Mark Casler – Local Farmer 

As you can see, the entire process is so important. The un glorified, back breaking, and dirty process is absolutely necessary for a thriving produce. So, as I look at re-building a real estate business in a new town, navigating the waters of a son with new evolving special needs, comforting hurting loved ones that I can’t take away their pain, building new habits as I continue my health journey, and building a new community within a new church family, I am just getting the soil ready for a crazy amazing harvest! The harvest can’t come without the intentional and often times discouraging work and investment.

I am not sure where you are in this season. Maybe you’re in the harvest season, and you have run out of baskets to hold all your produce, praise Jesus! That is amazing and evidence of your faithfulness in the un glorified and back breaking groundwork. Or, maybe you are in a season like me, where you are surrounded by dirt and dung and trying to make sense of it all. Let me encourage you, it takes the dung in the dirt to produce crops. Life can only come after we embrace and mix in our trials and hardships. There is life at the other end, I promise!

My fellow farmer, no matter where you are in your season, let us link arms and tend to our farms with purpose and patience, while being kind and gentle to ourselves.

You are not alone.

Happy Farming!!