Harvest Home By P. Diane Buie
Reflecting on the word Harvest, I recall some of my favorite things about the autumn season. My thoughts of pumpkin spice coffee creamers, pumpkin patches, and pumpkin pies. I think of the colorful mums that will be ready to plant or to keep in pots. I think of childhood memories of being loved and warm as I sat next to our fireplace. The colder temperatures where we lived in Virginia made our fireplace a wonderful place to relax. To this day, I still associate feelings of love, family, and friendships when I enjoy a fireplace in the fall or winter season. I feel like the fireplace bestows upon me a blanket of love that keeps my spirit warm. It is the simple things in life that give me the best of pleasures. Autumn brings a plethora of things to celebrate. The weather itself is a thing to be thankful for as we have cooler winds and temperatures. The change of colors on leaves and trees can often lead one to experience a personal renewal just by looking or driving by these lovely, natural jewels and treasures. If you happen to garden or work a farm, then harvest and fall are important times as the produce anticipated will bring resources for an entire community to enjoy. I can’t help but feel the joy this season called autumn gives. In the natural world, autumn produces a harvest of blessings for our lives. I think of an old hymn called, “Come Ye Thankful People Come”, and my mind begins to hum. In my memory, I can sing aloud, “Come ye thankful people come. Raise the song of harvest home; all is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin; God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied; Come to God’s own temple come, Raise the song of harvest home.” * 42 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 41
As believers, we have blessings daily that we can thank God for. Enjoying the beauty of the earth He created for us is one major gift. We can be grateful for the harvests in our lives every day we live. Spiritually, blessings are abundant as well. In the hymn I mentioned above, God’s hope for His harvest includes a homecoming into heaven one day. God promised to return for His people. The last stanza of the hymn reads,
“Even so Lord, quickly come, Bring thy harvest home; Gather Thou thy people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin, There forever purified, In Thy garner to abide; Come, with all thine angels come, Raise the glorious harvest home.” * As followers of Jesus, this is our hope of glory; Christ’s return for us! The greatest harvest is yet to come. I cannot imagine what those days or times will be like. My mind cannot dream with a magnitude that will be required when we are with God. I pray this harvest season finds you experiencing joy in God and in His Word like you have never known before. I pray you make time to celebrate this years’ harvest of friends, family, faith, freedoms, and much, much more. Sing with me, like the psalmist, to praise our God who made such a beautiful season of harvest.
“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:2) Happy Harvest to you and yours! * Lyrics copied with permission from Timeless Truths Free Online Library. The hymn was written by Henry Alford, published in 1844.
