The Golden Grain

I watched it change color and grow day by day, transitioning from a pale green-tan mixture to a creamy yellow to a golden bronze. The heads waved in the wind like a sea and gave blackbirds a place to rest. As the time for harvest approached and dust filled the air, combines crawled across the fields of wheat-the golden grain.

Wheat is averaging 60-70 b/acre for this
West Central Mo farmer

Upon visiting with a neighboring farmer, I was reminded of the importance and the delicate nature of this small grain. Their one farm alone harvested 200 acres this year. Although this is quite a small area in comparison to 1,000 acre wheat farms in the West, my neighbor was stating they were averaging 60-70 bushels/acre. Added up, this comprises approximately 784,000 pounds of wheat harvested!! He continued to share that the weather had affected their harvest in both good and bad ways. Due to the early and mild warm weather they experienced, the wheat had seen amazing growth. But the dry conditions experienced in the recent weeks made the wheat mature almost too fast-as the grain in their last field was quite hard. More moisture would have increased yields slightly, but nevertheless the season had gone amazingly well. They had to evaluate the dryness or moisture of the crop, combined with market prices they could attain, and analyze which fields were most ready each day to determine how to collect the best harvest and make the most profit.

Wheat will be used to make flour for food

When I think about how important is was to these farmers to monitor and manage the condition of their crop and their resources, carefully planning when to plant, and when to harvest, I am reminded of how God strategically and methodically does the same with His children. Those that are not saved are shown witnesses to plant seeds and nurture growth at just the right time. Like some fields, some people are too dry for planting at times. But once seed for the right person is planted at the right time, the seed begins to grow. Then, after days, or months, or maybe even years, the seed is finally mature, the person is ready and the harvest for God is made-salvation occurs. In perfect timing, the greatest reward is made.

As you go throughout your week, keep your eyes and ears open for the chance to plant a seed in a prepared field and watch it grow. In the same way, remember the thousands of farmers across the nation who are watching their own seed, waiting for the perfect time to harvest. And next time you eat a slice of bread, put crackers in your soup or bake a cake, thank those same people who made that possible!

Until next time, you can find me off the beaten path and ridin for the brand!