A large portion of my life has been spent on the farm. This has been a great joy, but it has also taught me some valuable lessons about life. In fact, I sometimes say to my friends that most of the important lessons I have learned have been either taught to me or reinforced on the farm. It is no coincidence that Jesus frequently used farming illustrations in his teaching. One of the more toilsome jobs I have ever done on the farm involves making hay. But there have been some valuable lessons taught, some of which I would like to share, for what they may be worth:
I learned you have to make hay when conditions are right. All you need is the perfect combination of the following: plenty of sunshine, low humidity, reasonably warm temperatures, a light breeze, no chance of rain for several days, and lots of hard-working, generous friends (preferably who have never done this before). When you can gather all of these things together at the same time, you are ready to make hay, and you better do it immediately.
Isn’t this a lot like life? Particularly, isn’t this a lot like our Christian life? Jesus said, “We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work,” (Jn. 9:4). We need to spring into action when we have opportunity, because such an opportunity may not come again. God sometimes gives us but one chance to get something important accomplished. All the conditions are right, so what do we do? “So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith,” (Gal. 6:10).
I learned it’s going to involve hard work. Second maybe to working in a coal mine, I think stacking hay in a barn is about the hardest job there is. You can do it without any problem if you do not mind working in extreme heat, dust-filled air, loud noise in your ears from the elevator, heavy lifting, and navigating an uneven walking surface at a great height. The only thing better is if you have allergies or maybe a summer cold at the time.
Work is what the Christian life is all about. It is not a life for slackers or sluggards. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” (Eph. 2:10 NKJV). I know there are those who claim that the Christian life has nothing to do with works. But that’s not the way my Bible reads. “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth,” (2 Tim. 2:15). If you look at the life of Christ, you will see a busy man. The Christian who follows in his steps, will keep in mind that the work before us is of the utmost importance, and we need to be busily involved in the vineyard of the Lord.
I learned you may lose a few friends. The first time we stacked hay in the barn, I think I had 8 friends helping. Of these, one died, two had a heart attack, and I have never seen the others since. Just kidding about that, but I will say that the number tends to decrease for future get-togethers.
You may lose a few friends when you become a Christian. In fact, you may find that your circle of acquaintances changes radically. But don’t worry. Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the gospel’s sake, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life,” (Mk. 10:29-30).
I learned it’s better to get out and pick up the stick, rather than just running over it. It’s amazing how small things look from up in the safety of the tractor. But if you see what looks like a small stick, chances are it’s just the tip of a large branch concealed in the deep grass. It would be better to get out and pick it up rather than damaging the baler. Another thing, that kind of damage can be very, very expensive.
So it is when we see glimpses of trouble along the way of life. We would be better off to reconsider what we are doing, stop and fix the problem if we can. It may prevent a lot of costly damage later. “I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me,” (Mt. 25:35-36). It is often not convenient to stop and attend to the needs of others as we become aware of them. But that is what the Christian life is all about. Pausing our busy schedule and helping another.
I learned that there’s nothing like rest when you’re really tired. Some of the best nights of sleep I ever had were after making hay all day. Or maybe just to sit in the shade for a few minutes and drink a cold glass of water or iced tea!
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.., that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them,” (Rev. 14:13). One of the fondest promises in the Bible is this: “There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God,” (Heb. 4:9). Yes, I have had some good times making hay. But better by far are the lessons learned. And the satisfaction of serving a God who lets us learn important things from life’s experiences, even from making hay.
-by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
