“When you are harvesting in your field, and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
~ Deuteronomy 24:19
If you’ve had the wonderful-good opportunity to visit the Amish farmland of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during the harvest, I hope you’ve had time to explore the backroads to see Amish families working together in the fields. Amish wives and daughters work alongside their husbands and fathers—a family affair, to be sure.
Perhaps if you’ve gone, you’ve stopped at a roadside vegetable stand to purchase a “punkin” or gourds of all colors and sizes. And what a thrill to choose from a variety of sweet potatoes, too, and carrots, spinach, and artichokes, all fresh and still in season.
The harvest is a busy and important time for the farmer, the culmination of weeks and months of planting, cultivating, and toil.
In Matthew 9: 36-38, our Lord compares the work of sharing the Gospel to the harvest when He says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the LORD of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Yes, the work of reaching out to the people around us with the Good News about Jesus and serving as His hands and feet in the world takes time and energy. It can also be discouraging when those most in need of Christ reject Him. Yet He calls us to be faithful and continue laboring for the spiritual harvest of souls. We must be persistent, never giving up. We are those laborers Jesus refers to, working together—a family affair.
So, let’s continue to labor together cheerfully without wavering, striving ever onward to share God’s great love with the lost around us.
Blessings for a beautiful autumn and October!
—Beverly Lewis
1) Now is a good time to begin stocking up on Christmas gifts, and my latest book, The Christmas House might just be the perfect choice for someone who enjoys a sweet romance set in Amish farmland. Here are the retailer links:
Baker Book House (30% off and free US shipping )
2) My sister, Barbara, and I have created a lovely new card, "Harvest Blessings," which is ideal for Pastor Appreciation Month. Order yours at: https://www.amishcheer.com/product-page/harvest-blessings
3) I want to thank you for helping make The Christmas House #1 in the categories of Amish Romances and in Amish and Mennonite Romances at Amazon.com right out the gate in early September! So many of you have also reviewed on Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon, and other outlets, which I truly appreciate! I hope you have the chance to enjoy the autumn colors, as well as some cooler weather, friends!
