Page 20 - Harnett Life Fall 2019

Seed Time

& Harvest

By Pastor Charles P. Locklear

Matt 9:37 “Then saith he (Jesus) unto his disciples, the
harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”

If you fail to plan, then You are planning to fail. Such might to hear children talking about what they want to do when they
be the words of any good farmer. When a good farmer looks grow up. The seeds are being planted in the mind and heart that
out across His fields in the Fall of the year, He has the hope could very well determine what the hands will do in the days
and expectation that His fields will be full of Fall harvest. ahead. School days are important days for several reasons. It
He has this hope because of the effort and planning that be- can be reasonably said that education is one of the best tools
gan many months earlier, when after a long winter nap, His we have in shaping our future. In today’s world, those without
fields were awakened and tilled in preparation for seeds, that an education will find limited opportunities for their lives. It
would yield a new crop. In fact, His expectation has every- does not mean however, that a productive life is not possible.
thing to do with the level of effort He has used in the Spring Every community has its share of Individuals who, for what-
and Summer months. A lazy farmer can expect to gather a ever reason, did not get a formal education and yet have been
limited harvest, or no harvest at all. A mis-informed farmer productive and successful in life.
might be surprised to discover he has used the wrong seeds,
applied the wrong fertilizer or failed to cultivate the fields in Finishing school forces us to start thinking and getting serious
a way that would destroy the strange and unwanted additions about what we will do as adults. Reaching adulthood forces us
to the crops he was planning for. The Fall of the year tells the into the field of life. We now are confronted with some of life’s
story. The evidence is in the fields and no amount of excuses realities, like bills, debts, schedules and accountability. Its in
or regrets can change the harvest. It is what it is. this season that we must cultivate the crops we have planted.
It is during this time we must weed out that which has come
The story of the farmer illustrates the story of life as well. It up with the good seed that we neither need, nor want, as part
is for the most part, true that life is lived in seasons. There is of the harvest we are working toward. Those bad seed can be
the season when we are being prepared and developed for a in the form of bad habits, bad ideas, bad ambitions and a bad
productive life. It is the season of childhood. There are limit- attitude. Remember that what you plant or allow to grow in the
ed expectations on what we are capable of doing. But at the field you are developing, will yield a harvest one day. Make
same time, others who have an interest in our lives are hop- sure you are watching whats going on in your field. Don’t
ing, and perhaps even praying, that we will soon show signs spend so much time watching other people’s fields, judging
that we are developing in healthy ways, physically, mentally, other people’s farming abilities, that your own field is over-
emotionally and for some equal interest or more, that we will grown with stuff that will yield you a harvest you neither want
seek after a relationship with God, our creator. nor have hopes for.

Starting to school presents the opportunity to develop life- It is sad but true, that many individuals, during the season they
long friendships, expand our world to include the knowledge should have been paying attention to what was growing up in
of things and events from around the world. This knowledge their field of life, was occupied with smaller things, spending
has the potential to cause us to begin thinking bout what we time doing things that has no ability to yield a harvest that
might do when we become adults. Its not uncommon at all could add value and pleasure to their lives. Most of those who
Page 20 will read the article, will be in the late summer and early Fall