Every morning, I stand at the front window of our house, looking out over the gentle slope of an Iowa farmfield rolling down toward the road. Our crops are vibrant and green, and they wave a morning greeting in the breeze. There’s always something so hopeful about that.
But then, as I scan this field, I see the sad sight that greets me morning after morning: a bald spot in the middle of the field, where crops should have been planted but weren’t. It looks like a giant scar, or a wound, a reminder that, for a season, all was not well.
My husband, Scott, is a crop farmer. And like farmers across the heartland, he was unable to plant some of his corn and soybeans due to unrelenting rains that kept him out of the field. Three months later, in the middle of a field, there remains this ugly, bare spot, where nothing was allowed to grow, because we couldn’t plant the seeds.
All spring, we read news reports like this one on our iPhone news apps: “U.S. corn planting this spring has crawled at its slowest pace in 40 years. It now may be at a standstill.” We saw the headlines come to life in our own community and on our own farm.
It felt like a sort of vandalism, like Mother Nature worked tirelessly to destroy the perennial hope of the farmer. And if we dug down deep into the whole matter of things, it felt like God had turned His back on the farmer while the vandal roamed unchecked.
I suppose some farmers lifted their hands to the sky, saying “Thy will be done” to a sovereign and holy God. Others felt cheated, wronged, and wholly frustrated.
All of us were in the middle of a hard but important lesson: farming is an act of faith. Like my husband says, “I didn’t learn surrender in a church. I learned it in a field.”
You may not be a farmer, but I’ll bet you know what it feels like to look out on what God has given you and see a wound in the fields you’ve been called to plant. You’ve probably heard a sermon or seen a social media graphic that reminded you it’s your job to plant the seeds, and it’s God’s job to make them grow. Quite often, that is a pretty fitting metaphor — that is, if you can actually plant those seeds.
But what about the fields you can’t even get to? What do you do when you’ve been called to steward that which God has given to you, but you find yourself on the edge of your field with fistfuls of seeds that will never make their way into the ground?
Perhaps, for you, the inaccessible field looks like the heart of a wayward child who won’t even text you anymore. Perhaps it’s an unfulfilled dream on which someone closed a door. Perhaps you’ve tried to plant seeds in a flailing ministry or a fractured marriage, but you can’t reach the field. Lord, why can’t I get to the field?
What then? What do we do when the cynicism creeps up, like weeds on a bald spot of a field?
This is what we do: We stand at the window, and we dwell in hope. That’s what the people of God do — we hope.
It takes great courage, but we wake up each day with hope. We accept that disappointments happen, but we don’t lose hope.
A single bit of hope is a very powerful thing. It compels you to look out on your fields, believing that in another season, another time, the fields will open up for you once more.
In time — if the seeds that God has placed in your hands were intended for those fields rolled out before you — they will open. I promise you, they will.
Until then, cast your seeds where you can. Wait for the time to enter the fallow fields. But never lose the hope given to you, in the name of the One who gave you the seeds in the first place.
I believe it as sure as I’m standing at the window today, looking out on a field in the heartland, knowing that in due season, we will plant again.
As for me, I will always have hope.
Psalm 71:14 (NIV)
We dwell in hope. That’s what the people of God do — we hope. -@dukeslee: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment
Yes, farmers (and this gardener!) get faith lessons standing under God’s sky and wondering.
Somehow it’s easier for me to accept crop failure in the eggplant patch than the disappointments that come in other areas, but I know God uses hard times like sandpaper.
Grateful for your voice, Jennifer. Trusting for better days ahead for your farmer.
love the comment about sandpaper.i see that he roughs off my edges in times of sadness and that each hardship I faced I changed into a better person .
It’s been such a strain in our region because farming is more than a hobby; it the livelihood of so many people we love. It’s been an incredible hardship. This spring, the farmer hotline was ringing off the hook. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Sandpaper, indeed.
What a wonderful, reassuring reminder that God gives us the blessed gift of Hope. And that in hard times, He uses those challenges to teach us and grow our Faith. Thank you for your encouraging Hope filled words, Jennifer. XOXO
So glad this encouraged you, Nancy. Thanks for joining me at (in)courage.
Thanks Jennifer! Your words of hope have given me joy in my hidden desert place of my heart where I’ve lost hope in believing that reconciliation of my children will ever happen between them
As for me I always have hope! Yes that verse will be planted in this desert heart and revival will begin.. again.. it’s a good thing and I will wait on the Lord, it’s His time and it’s His will.. blessings to and through you
Sadie, I can think of few things more heartbreaking than having this kind of separation for your children. I am so sorry. Praying in hope to the God of all Hope.
It is the hope of God that keeps me going day after day. It is the balm for my soul and the motivation for my heart when my own field looks empty. Thank you for sharing hope. It seems so simple and truly it is when we release our anxiety to God.
Thank you so much, Mary! May your plantings be successful, and your harvests be successful!
Jennifer, this was perfect for me this morning. I will scatter what I’m able, where I’m able, and I will give it 100%, even when the work looks like a fraction of my effort – because this is practical hope. ❤
“I will scatter what I’m able, where I’m able. ” I love that, Michelle.
Good morning Jennifer,
Thank you for the words of encouragement as like myself and my family, many of us are experiencing some pretty rought patches.
Especially those hit so hard by hurrican Dorian.
Let’s pray that God will be there spiritually and physically.
Blessings, Maggie
Joining you in praying for those being hit hard by Hurricane Dorian. Thanks, Maggie.
Jennifer,
This reminds me of the story of Ruth. Naomi lost her two sons & husband. But God gave her hope in daughter in law Ruth. She didn’t realize it at first. Ruth came back with her helped her get food. Before you know it Naomi has a grand son in the line of Jesus. God’s timing isn’t ours. We must hope. Keep on trying, praying, but never despairing. We must do our part by planting the seeds-even if all we can do is pray. Believing with all your heart that God is hearing you & will answer that prayer in His perfect timing. He expects us to trust & hope in Him alone. Praying for a better crop next year.
Blessings 🙂
Beth! This is so, so good! Thank you for sharing this with us!
You are a gifted writer. The imagery is beautiful and memorable. I find great comfort in this message. Keep writing!
That means so much, Anita. Thank you!
Jennifer, thank you so much for these words. They hold much hope and encouragement for me today as I long to keep moving forward with my writing and find the pace at which I can do that limited by chronic illness.
Praying for you as you “plant seeds” in your writing. Way to persevere, even through chronic illness. I’m inspired by you!
Thank you Jennifer for putting words to our past and present hardships. I’ve been learning to live life in the good and not so good times. Learning to trust God with it all, has been an ongoing process. When times are “abundant”, we take it for granted and when we’ve lost it all, we stand and ask, where are you God?
As we are now rebuilding our lives, or should I say, as God rebuilds our lives, I’m seeing so distinctly how He has always been there, all along. He has given me Hope and is helping me dream again after a very long drought. ✝️ God bless!
Jennifer – love the analogies I’m reading today all over the blogosphere! I thought of your Scott often as we drove across this great land of ours this summer on our 5-week Alaskan road trip. I wondered if he had ever gotten to plant seed. Today’s post answers the question. We crossed part of Iowa, way south – but if it had been northwest? I was going to pull in your driveway and hug your neck! Seriously. We are the people of HOPE. And, I’ve said it at least 499 times, #hopechangeseverything
I loved your write up ! I understand not being in control of life…just when people think they have it all understood then job loss comes , unexpected divorce or a death. life is such a roller coaster ride but thank goodness we have God to hold onto. my husband ripped out his arm muscles many years ago and faced surgery after surgery. one company simply fired him because he was getting up there and not a young 20 yr old..so ups and downs as we travel forward in life. I know that God loves us and always carries us..
Finding hope in a fallow field. Love it. Thanks for the sight adjustment.
Thank you for your voice of hope, Jennifer. You KNOW what it’s like, struggling to remain faithful and courageous in spite of the evidence. My guess is the harvest of your encouraging words is much greater than the eye can see.
Thank you sp much, the seeds of encouragement you were sowing this morning, has taken root in my heart.
Be blessed,
Praise God . Thank you for this, Jennifer. My heart is being encouraged, my mind, strengthened, and my spirit is given hope. God bless you in your writing ministry and may God prosper your farm – – they are being used by God as tremendous avenues to bless a lot of people, like me. — Knel, from Manila, Philippines
Jennifer, thank you!!
This really spoke to a tender spot in my heart right now… There’s a family relationship that has fallen apart over the past few months, and I can totally see the enemy’s hand in it. I have tried to bridge the gap, extending love, grace and forgiveness. But it has been met with a wall. It is so hard for this recovering people-pleaser to know that conflict is unresolved. I can’t “get to that part of the field.” They won’t let me.
BUT GOD CAN. And so I’ll wait and pray. I’ll trust the Holy Spirit to resurrect dead hearts and bring about His harvest. Thank you for your words. Today they were a needed balm for my soul.
I’m with you in trusting God for the next season… 🙂
Becky
Good Morning Jennifer,
Lovely post to remind us to keep the faith and have hope, no matter what is happening in our lives. I live in an area in southwestern Ontario, Canada where numerous farmers faced the same issues that your husband has gone through this season. Many were able to eventually plant, just in time, but others have “holes” where it was too wet, too long.
Praying for farmers here in North America and around the world that there efforts will be bountiful.
I love how your imagery of a “field” can apply to any area of life where “planting” and “sowing” can take place.
Thanks and blessings, Sandy
Praying for the farmers and their families. Thank you for your labors.
Thank you for this beautiful article. I have a few fields that I am waiting to enter. In the meantime, I am planting watering, and reaping elsewhere. As an example, my health flipped (and flips) my known world upside down. I had to enter new fields of ministry than the ones I had always known and many had to be left behind. I published a book and actually talk about fields and yokes and entering the fields where God is working rather than the ones I wanted to be in or thought I should be in. Our willingness to follow God’s seasons brings fruit. I am astounded at what He is doing. Things that could have happened no other way and at no other time are happening. What I thought was lost was only being re-purposed. And what I never knew existed became my reality. All for Him and for His glory.