For farmers, the fall harvest has always been a time to thank God for the blessings he has given us. In the fall, the barns, silos and cellars are at their fullest. Though we have been working hard all year to tend to the plants and animals we raise, the harvest is when the consequences of our choices are final. There is no more time to change the results; we must accept the outcomes of the things we could and could not control during the growing season.
The Psalms tell us that all creation declares the glory of God (Ps 19). Creation is the first book, written by God, to reveal himself to us through his creatures. The natural order is available to us to read as well as to participate in. Man is invited into the natural cycles, being placed in a position of dominion and responsibility over God’s creation in the Garden of Eden — both as a creature made by God and as a sub-creator alongside him. In agriculture, man cooperates with God’s plan for nature; yet, despite the hard work, patience and knowledge of the intricacies of plants and animals necessary for productive cooperation, it is ultimately up to God to bring the farmer’s work to fruition.
Our efforts are not unimportant, but they pale in comparison to the work that only God is capable of fulfilling.
As true as this is in the natural world, it is even more true in our spiritual lives. St. Paul explains in that “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:6-7). Our efforts are not unimportant, but they pale in comparison to the work that only God is capable of fulfilling. God asks for our cooperation so that he can bring about spiritual fruit in our lives, just as he does in nature. “The Rural Life Prayer Book” begins its prayers for the harvest season with the reminder, “If by God’s goodness there has been a rich harvest, we should remember that this temporal prosperity should prepare the way for eternal happiness.”
Each harvest season in this life is a sign of the ultimate harvest in the life to come, a practice run for the last harvest and a sign of God’s constant providence and love. Each time some good fruit is produced, it is an opportunity to grow in wonder and to practice gratitude for being invited into the mystery of life, growth and the fruits of creation and grace. Christ the sower has planted the seeds of grace in our souls, asking us, like Apollos, to water and care for them as he causes the growth. Each time we pray for a successful harvest in this life, it is a preparation for the ultimate harvest in the next life, where no blight can destroy, but instead will persist forever.
