Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Harvest Blessings

"The tender grass grows up at His command to feed the cattle, and there are fruit trees, vegetables, and grain for man to cultivate, and wine to make him glad and olive oil as lotion for his skin, and bread do give him strength." - Psalms 104

The 104th Psalms is one of my favorite passages about God. His greatness and wisdom just shine throughout this portion of Scripture. While reflecting upon these verses, I feel so safe and secure in the world that God made.

Since I moved to the country recently, these passages have even more meaning to me. My husband and son and other farmers in the valley are harvesting what they planted in the spring - the first crop on the agenda is dry edible beans. Fields that were once green have now turned a golden yellow and the beans have matured inside the dried pods. They are ready to be combined, dumped in trucks and hauled to the beanery. Later they will be transported to factories where they will be processed - some will appear on your grocery shelves as cans of pork and beans, or baked beans, or perhaps chili. It is just one of the crops that we grow in Western Nebraska to feed the hungry of the world. And God designed these unique plants - He knew the type of soil and weather they would need to grow and mature into a food source. Caring for the crops is the responsibility of man. Although the mainstream media does not emphasize this much, being a farmer is a most honorable profession.

Once the beans are finished, it will be time to harvest sugar beets. We have some growing near our country home. If you have never seen one, they look much like a red beet in a garden plot only the leaves are much larger as is the beet itself. The beet is white and must be pulled from the ground and loaded in trucks. Then it is taken to the sugar factory nearby where it is turned into pure white sugar. You probably ate some of it today in one form or another. Not many food processors actually list sugar beet as an ingredient on the label but rather the term sugar is used. God knew we would need sugar in our bodies - for energy. You will find sugar in bread and it is added to fruit to make jelly and jams. The ways to use sugar is extensive including some very pleasant foods for us to enjoy - like candy, cookies, cakes and pastry. It is one food that we can eat too much of because it tastes so wonderful. Although it only contains 15 calories per teaspoon, we tend to consume too much sometimes:-)

Next, corn will be harvested. When it is picked or combined, it is in a dry, hard state, not like the sweet corn you may buy fresh, frozen or canned. The type of corn we raise is used to feed cattle and other livestock. So, in one sense, when you are eating a hamburger, you are also eating corn:-)

God had a plan in everything He made! He sends rain and sun to help crops grow and as the temps drop and fall approaches, the crops in the field ripen and mature. It is all part of His divine wisdom and His awesome creation.

Although I have only preserved sweet corn this year, there are others in my neighborhood who are canning vegetables like crazy - tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, carrots, red beets, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and cucumbers. Soon apples and cherries will be ready to preserve. Again, we experience God's provision for His people to function properly and stay healthy. And we are truly blessed.

Harvest is a good reminder of God's greatness. What foods are harvested in your area of the country?

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Blessings to each of you!