Celebrating Our Harvest

Harvesting is the fulfilling reward for our efforts and endeavors.  It doesn’t come easy, but is rewarding when it comes. The end of any project, obligation, or year can often seem like the longest and hardest part of a responsibility, experience or season. Finishing well can feel like eating the last bite of a big meal—hard to chew and difficult to swallow. Dedication requires that one last push of energy it takes to endure. Weariness and setbacks can make enduring the long road to accomplishment seem like a miles-long, impossible milestone. Graciously, God promised we’d reap if we faint not. Doing well at well doing is rewarded with a harvest and that is a gift worth celebrating.

Looking back and counting our blessings can be hard when viewing them through the clouds of dysfunction, devastation or despair. But, looking close, we will find that there were things to celebrate even among the difficulties.

I usually try to celebrate my blessings as they come. However, this year, with my heavy heart, and tunnel vision, I couldn’t really see or appreciate the things that brought me joy. I was so disheartened by my sorrow that I missed celebrating a lot of the good things happening around me.

Trouble hovers over hearts and homes even during days of festive celebrations. When we struggle, lose, and suffer, it can seem easier to write the year off, consider it a loss, turn the calendar page, and move on from the past. This may be due to experiencing bad relationships, stressful issues, health complications, work conflicts, financial strain, spiritual struggles or the loss of a loved-one.

Maybe the year was full of multiple problems, misplaced priorities, or minimal productivity.  If you’re like me, and things like this have caused you to lose sight of the bountiful harvest in your life, let’s join our hands and refresh our hearts together while we review what a harvest actually is. The dictionary defines it this way:

This definition of harvest is referring to what we’ve accumulated or how productive our results have been. Sometimes this is hard to measure, but here are some examples of things I found to celebrate this year:

Celebrating What Was Acquired

• Spiritual Strength – from God’s Word, prayer, and friends
• Education – from reading, studying, and mentors
• Finances – from steady work
• Friends – from meeting people and making acquaintances

Celebrating What Was Accumulated

• Peace of Mind – that brings comfort to sorrow and eases stress
• Knowledge – to discern direction and make decisions
• Resources – to try new things and accomplish goals
• Relationships – that feed well-being and motivation

Celebrating What Was Accomplished

• Outreach Opportunities – helping others with spiritual needs
• Learning Lessons – establishing new ways to bond and set boundaries
• Renewed Motivation – setting up and re-starting sleeping projects
• Sweet Memories – gathering and socializing with family and friends

Reaping the blessings of our harvest is worthy of celebration and what better time to celebrate, than while we’re wrapping up another year remembering the beautiful gift of God’s Son? (John 3:16) May your Christmas be merry and your New Year full of fruitful endeavors.

Bring It Home?

What harvest can you celebrate this year?

Praying for you as we grow together,

Smiles, BRC