Harvest

Every Year I Forget

I forget about the easy and the hard of harvest. "Easy, you say? What's easy?" My answer to that question is hard to put into words, and it won't necessarily apply to other farmers or families than our own, but for one, it is easy when you have a happy spouse; My husband comes to life during busy seasons. It is so good to see him happy and thriving at the work that is set before him each day. He becomes inspired, dedicated, and sets himself to being the most helpful and gregarious farmer you have ever met. He is constantly on the phone, asking questions or answering questions that other farmers might have. His perspective grows exponentially, way beyond the practical application of his skills to our own little corner of Chase County, and he shares himself without reserve to serve farmers near and far. It is life-giving and inspiring and it breathes a breath of fresh air into the atmosphere all around. 

 The boys and I ran into some friends at the splash pad awhile back and we began to talk family life and farming a bit and they made a remark to the effect that we surely never see Josh at all this time of year unless we ride with him in the tractor. It is certainly true that our time with him is limited during the busy times, but it made me pause and reflect on how grateful I am that he is intentional to take what family time that he can, even during the busiest of times. He may not pause for lunch, or be home in time for supper, but if he has to run back to the house for a part, he stops in and spends time with the boys. He might take Wesley for a whole afternoon, if the circumstances are right. He might even take him with him to work for 3 days in a row!! It just depends on his schedule and how smoothly things are going, but if he has a chance to be with the family, he almost always takes it. Sometimes, we have to get creative about spending quality time, but we will find a way to make it happen. Several weeks ago we stayed up until approximately 2am, just chatting and catching up on the latest happenings. I didn't look at my clock but I was about midnight when Josh came in to bed and we talked for at least two hours. I don't recall us having to go quite to those extremes ever before but after weeks on end of not seeing each other's faces in the daylight you start to feel like a part of you is wasting away in a dark corner somewhere. Those two hours of catching up might not have been the most prudent, (have to get back up and at it the next morning!) but they sure made life seem brighter. 

I write this weeks after the end of wheat harvest because it took this long for life to normalize and for me to collect my thoughts. Things have not really gotten much less busy for Josh, but we do see him a little bit more now that harvest is over for the time being. It just amazes me how quickly I forget the dynamic shift that happens multiple times per year for us. I wonder how it looks for other families and if they struggle with the same things that we do or how they come up with creative ways to make it work. May God prepare us all for the months and weeks ahead, bless us with wisdom and faith and healthy crops and livestock and most of all renew our strength in love for Him above all.