The Harvest is White

This morning I woke up right at 6:00 am to the sound of a honking truck and barking dogs. I'm sure that I was not the only person at the training center to wake up to the sound the sugar cane farmers starting their day before the sun had fully risen.

Taken from my bedroom window bright and early this morning

I was able to slowly drift off to sleep for just a little bit longer, but somehow the slow, methodical whacking of the machete against the sugar canes made it into my dreams and I thought there was a loud clock ticking beside me.

I come from the American south where crops are abundant, so seeing a harvest is nothing new, but I've never witnessed a sugar cane harvest. Sugar cane is able to grow in a dry climate with relativly little rain. When it's ready to be harvested, the tops of the canes get a white fluffy top.

Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for the harvest.

- John 4:35

"The fields are white for the harvest"

In Fiji, there is no big production for cutting the canes. The land is often owned by a village and the fields are planted, tended and then finally harvested by individual men. There is no fancy machinery to help in the process, just manpower and a machete.

We've been privileged to have the author, Norman Blackaby here with us these past few days. As we sat listening to him teach us how to better study the Bible and get the most out of reading the word, I started thinking about how warm it was inside. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard activity in the field beside our training center. The same two men who had been at work since the morning were still out in the field in the middle of the afternoon heat.

I tried to get a couple of sneaky little shots of the process

A couple of weeks back I spoke with a cane farmer and asked him about the process of turning the sugar canes into cane sugar. He could tell me everything about the planting and harvesting, but as soon as the sugar canes were cut and loaded onto the cane train, he had no idea.

From where I stand at the Kennedy Training Center in Malolo, Fiji, sugar canes can be seen in every direction. With all of the fields, there are only a handful of people out in them each day. There were two working the field beside the center all day.

As I've been reflecting on this and the implement in our own lives I'm reminded of the verse, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." -Luke 10:2

As we headed out for another OJT this afternoon, I saw direct ties between our work and the work of the cane farmers. For months, they prepare their fields, plant them and tend them, ready for the day when the harvest is ready. In the same way, as Christians we have prep work to do before we can go out into the harvest. Our preparation looks a little different, but it must be started before the harvest can be brought in.

In our lives we have to cultivate a relationship with the Lord. Just  like a field that's been planted, it can't be done one time then returned to months later and expect an abundant crop. We have to actually know God and this can only come through a relationship with prayer, studying the world and listening to his words spoken to us.

Sometimes we want immediate results, but don't realize that it takes time for seeds planted in our own lives to have an effect. 

Sometimes doing OJT in town can be frustrating when we make connections with people and make plans to follow through, but aren't able to. Our time here is short and we may never see many of the people that we've been able to impact. It's like the cane farmers who see one side of the process, but never see the canes actually turned into sugar.

I want to know the whole process. I want to see lives radically changed wherever I go, but sometimes it's only a seed that will get planted,

I thank God for the work he is doing in my life and the lives of those I have met. As we've gotten to see a harvest, I pray for those who will come behind me and help finish the process. I am so thankful !

God Bless,

Liz

You Said

You said, "Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need"
You said, "Pray and I'll hear from Heaven
And I'll heal your land"

You said, Your glory will fill the earth
Like water, the sea
You said, "Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, yes the Kingdom is near"

You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to you"
Oh, Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

You said, Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea
You said, "Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the Kingdom is near"

You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to you"
Oh, Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

Oh, Lord, I ask for the nations

  -Hillsong