Sowing, reaping, and faith
The Super Bowl commercial "This is how God created the farmer" moved me to tears. The images brought back strong memories of my father, who worked as a farmer. Our family, like many other farming families, lived off what the fields provided. With a large number of children and the responsibility for the entire household, it was a tremendous task to feed everyone and make ends meet.
My father regularly took out loans from the bank to buy seeds, fertilizer, and other essential supplies for planting season. As soon as it was time to start working on the farm, the next challenge arose: tools needed to be repaired or replaced, machinery serviced, and barns maintained. My father sought financial assistance from the bank for these needs as well.
In his heart, he carried the dream of a bountiful harvest. With great care, he cultivated the fields, tilled the soil, planted the seeds, and patiently tended the tender seedlings until they were ready for harvest. His thoughts always revolved around the same questions: What does my family need to get through the winter? How much do I have to pay back to the bank? Will there be anything left over to perhaps fulfill a few small wishes? Then it was a matter of waiting for the rain, for sunny days, and for the steady growth of the fruits and plants. Some years brought a rich harvest with a large yield, while other years were meager.
During the summer months, the harvest was brought in, sorted, and then taken to market. This time was very important for us children, as the earnings were used to pay for our school uniforms. At the same time, fruits and vegetables were preserved by cooking and canning so that we would have enough to eat during the long winter. No one was spared the work. We were all awake by sunrise at the latest, ate a hearty breakfast together, and then set off for the fields.
In the autumn, the remainder of the harvest was brought in and sold. My father used the proceeds to pay off the bank debts. Gradually, we spent more time indoors than outdoors, building up provisions for the family: potatoes were washed, peas dried, and grain stored. During these quieter months, we prayed to survive the harsh winter and hoped our supplies would last until the next harvest.
The farmers' complete trust in living from one year to the next remains impressive and moving even today. They work, sow, tend, and harvest. But true growth lies in God's hands: "Jesus said, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, even though he does not know how. All by itself the earth produces grain—first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. When the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.'" (Mk 4,26–29).
There were bountiful harvests and there were years when drought and floods destroyed the crops. My father's eyes were fixed on God, from whom he expected his daily sustenance. Deep down, he knew that not the bank, not the weather, and not the market offered ultimate security, but God himself, the true provider of his life.
by Lila Millhuff
