Ponder This: What Spiritual Harvest Has This Year Produced In My Life?

Tom's Response: First, if you are reading our Ponder today, I'd like to ask you to share your thoughts to this question and click over to our website.  We want to hear from you!  

Like my wife Karen, faith has been something I have felt strongly about this year. A year when things have not gone particularly well.  Throughout the years God has blessed us at the times we needed it the most.  Time and time again He comes through.  Sometimes He makes you wait until the last second on the clock, but then it is more rewarding and I am more appreciative.  

This year, I have been waiting patiently.  This year, I feel much more patient.  I am trusting God in my circumstances.  Not so much when someone is driving slow and blocking traffic in the fast lane, but I do things like remind myself Jesus is riding shotgun.  In this situation, I am not forcing myself to be patient, but I am showing growth as a direct result of my relationship with Jesus.  I do believe patience leads to peace.  There are times of anxiety that can interrupt your peace, but practicing patience can help bring you back to a peaceful state.

Mary Ann's Response: As I take the time to ponder this question, I realize this year is only part of my ongoing spiritual journey.  My walk with God is a continuous path of learning, growing, and trusting.  

Being a Christian, I know that my spiritual growth is like the gentle growth of a child.  You don’t always see it day by day, but over time you begin to notice how much God has been shaping your heart.  I haven't made any rigorous changes this year, but I can see that God has been quietly working on me, little by little, teaching me patience, trust, gratitude, gentleness, and peace.  I may not always get it right, but because I am God’s child, I am a constant work in progress. 

I know my trust in the Lord has deepened.  He has reminded me to live with a spirit of gratitude.  Earlier this year, I shared in an answer to another Ponder question,  about something I prayed for, something I almost gave up hope on, but God reminded me that His timing is always part of His plan. When His answer finally came, it was different from what I imagined, yet it was exactly what I (actually, what my son) needed.

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

This scripture uses the metaphor of farming to remind us that when we are consistent in doing good, it will eventually lead to a harvest, a reward for our persistence.  So be encouraged and continue planting seeds of goodness. Be patient with the process of life and good deeds, knowing that our efforts will eventually bear fruit.

As this year comes to an end, I want to always remember to praise God for all he has given me, even for the simplest of things, a beautiful sunset, a night sky with the stars and a bright moon, and the ability to walk outside each morning and use that time to appreciate nature and say a prayer.

Karen's Response: I just love to pause and reflect on what God has done in my life. In the past six months, my family has faced many situations that brought uncertainty, so I feel that the spiritual harvest that has recently been produced in my life is faith. Through faith, trust, lots of prayer, and many tears, we have battled through my son contracting Lyme disease this summer and ended up with facial palsy, a trip to the ER and overnight stay when my husband had severe chest pain, my niece and her husband having a preemie baby that began life in the ICU, my aging father continuously fighting pneumonia, and just this week, my father-in law being scheduled for double bypass surgery on Dec 2nd. All these difficult circumstances pave a path for Satan to whisper words of fear and anxiety into my ear, but God's voice is more powerful than the evil one. When I turn and look to God and invite Him into each situation, I feel His nearness(Psalm 34:18) and I am reminded that I can face all things through Christ, who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)
I am deeply thankful for the Holy Spirit, who helps my faith flourish in uncertain times. He directs me to scripture when doubt looms, and uses my family, church, and small group as a source of encouragement. He urges me to surrender everything to God, which allows me to find peace in His comforting embrace. Living by the empowering mantra' Faith over fear' is a truly beautiful and liberating place to be! For "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him." Nahum 1:7