by Barb Alston Melita Presbyterian Church   tbalston@mymts.net

As I gather my thoughts today, I think how the last few days have been good days for harvesting, with sunshine and wind and high temperatures. We have seen lots of combines working in the area — the characteristic dust of harvest - drifting out behind the machines and carried on the wind. Sometimes the stalks of the grain are chopped and scattered, sometimes dropped and balers follow close behind. There are many acres of canola swathed, waiting to ripen. Brilliant yellow blooming sun flowers and tall corn fields are still standing.

I heard voiced the other day, the words that often come into my mind during the summer months. “We spend all summer getting ready for winter", and these words are just so true in many ways . 

Apples gathered and processed now mean juice and applesauce and apple pies and other desserts. Vegetables canned and frozen will become part of a meal — maybe next February. 

Feed and bedding gathered now for livestock — is used much later in the year.

I have been thinking lately about the abundance of many things we are given in life.

Our apple tree had many many apples on it this year .There has been lots of apple sauce made by quite a few different people from the apples of our tree. Another lady made canned fruit. Quite a few apples just made a nice snack .

Still lots of apples were left. The birds helped themselves and others fell on the ground.

It got me thinking about how God gives us far beyond what we can measure. Look at the garden produce, the plentiful new potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers, and sweet corn we can enjoy at this time of the year.

It is amazing what can be produced on even a small piece of ground in a yard.

We watch the wonder of nature - even out our front window. Hummingbirds and Orioles come to the feeders. We watch the wonder of flight and the colours of the feathers, and the whirlwind of a life cycle as these birds raise at least one group of fledglings in this short season. A doe and twin fawns were seen out that same window in the pasture. A flock of Pelicans flew over today, in easy view.

We can see the beauty of sun-rises, sun-sets, rainbows and gathering storm clouds, as well as the rays of sun that come after the storms.

We are given life — and we are given life abundantly. We read this in John 10:10  

 "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (NRSV)

We are given so much, the beauty of the earth, the skies, the plentiful crops and produce. 

We are given each other, our friends and family and what blessing it is to support, help and spend time with one another. 

We notice the smile on the face of the long-time friend that we visit, the joy of recognition by a grand-child.

We listen and enjoy a favorite song on the radio.

Life is abundant in so many ways. 

It is our choice whether to truly experience and recognize this abundance, because as we all know there is a positive and negative side of everything. 

As the combines in the field separate the wheat from the chaff, so we must do in our lives from day to day.

I leave you with some of the words from the old hymn:

 

“For the beauty of the Earth”

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,

           
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,           

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

           

Words: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786-1872