Dusty day dawning three hours late
Open the curtains And let the rest wait.
My mind goes running three thousand miles east
I may miss the harvest, but I won’t miss the feast.(Dan Fogelberg, Illinois, from Souvenirs, 1974)
I suppose I’m at that stage of life where siblings and family start gathering for funerals instead of weddings. Last week I got the news that one of my sisters-in-law was not expected to make it through the night. She was in the late stages of a nasty cancer and when she passed it was a relief that she was no longer suffering. She was also a believer, and that makes all the difference. It would have been a somber week if not for the knowledge that she is now safe in the arms of the Lord.
I come from a big family that’s now spread pretty much from coast to coast, so I was glad to be able to spend time with brothers and sisters that I haven’t seen in several years.
wind machines at harvest time
It was harvest season in central Illinois and I didn’t realize how deeply I missed the land, particularly at this time of year. I grew up on a farm and I guess it’s in my blood. I have no desire to go back to farm the land, but it has certainly shaped who I am. I remember feeling sorry for the city kids who didn’t have the freedom we did. They even had to lock their doors at night. What’s up with that? This past week was a reminder that God has it all under control, no matter how dire things seem. He is faithful to bless His people, no matter the season, no matter the circumstances. And that’s pretty cool.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.(Great Is Thy Faithfulness)
