Extreme weather is a part of harvest in this state

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Proverbs 28:19

Thanksgiving, 2018 is now a fond memory. I choose to dwell on the good, the family, and our time together.

It is no secret to anyone living in this part of Kansas that the fall harvest has become a difficult journey. First, as spring transformed into summer, an overwhelming sense of desperation enveloped farmers who found themselves within the center of Kansas’ latest drought cycle. NOAH’s weather designation for extreme conditions, D3, does not adequately describe the experience by any measure.

As summer moved into the dog days of August, hope hung on, against all odds; a desire for revival with a shower from above. I cannot count the times we watched as storm clouds rose up, only to drop its precious cargo beyond our grasp. It was as if there was an impenetrable dome shielding our land from ever receiving those drops of rain. South, west, east and north of us, they seemed to be more deserving of the moisture.

Until, that is, one day, it began to rain, and there was more than enough to satisfy the crops which survived and were able to take it in and create the miracle of a bounty of harvest that had almost been lost.

This experience from one extreme to another, from severe drought to too much moisture, while hindering harvest, is typical Kansas weather.

I am grateful, however, that these extremes do not always come along every year, and at the same time every year. Otherwise, we may never be able to complete timely planting of wheat and harvest of fall crops. Yields were surprisingly very good, with generally acceptable quality.

Last week, as we were approaching the completion of bean harvest, we made a difficult, but worthwhile decision to change gears and make time for family and Thanksgiving. We drove the nine hours to Minnesota and celebrated the season, full of joy and warm hearts.

Looking ahead, next year is a new slate, full of hope and dreams for us all. We make plans, we manage, we work according to what has been set before us. But it is God who provides and sustains, in years of plenty and in years of need.

Our attitude, then, is to have the mind of contentment, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

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