Living a couple hours from the
nearest grocery store has pushed Kevin and me to work hard at learning to live
like rural Paraguayans. Our garden has not only taught us of the value of hard
work, but it has given us multiple opportunities to learn from the local
people.
Last week as we prepared to
celebrate Thanksgiving, we incorporated songs and stories that teach about the
first Thanksgiving and the importance of giving thanks to the Lord as our
provider. One night as we put the kids to bed, we sang Come, Ye Thankful People Come. The words of the second verse read:
All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto
his praise to yield,
wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or
sorrows grown.
First the blade, and then the ear, then the
full corn shall appear,
Lord of harvest, grant that we whole-some
grain and pure may be.
Having spent many sweaty hours
working to plant a garden (and then working to protect it from animals and the
intense heat of the sun), these words are more meaningful than ever. We are
developing a better understanding of the hard labor that most Paraguayans do in
order to provide for themselves. Though we are not dependent on our garden to
put food on the table, we are learning about the struggle and joy that comes
from watching and waiting for the fruit of your labor to appear.
This week our five-year-old son
Micah just started a unit in his homeschool on Insects, the theme being, “I am
a wise child; so I work hard.” How important it is to learn from the time we
are very young that hard work is not something to run from. Rather it is the
result of being wise. In fact, God promises that when we work hard for Him, we
have the promise of a reward (Col. 3:23-24).
Just last
week we harvested our first crop of sweet corn here in Yataity. It was exciting
to watch the process as we learned about the differences of planting here in
Paraguay. What a treat it was to enjoy our homegrown sweat corn and green beans
for Thanksgiving. Just as we have
practical rewards from the harvest here on this earth, some day we will receive
our inheritance in Christ Jesus as our reward from the Lord. What a truth worth
living for!
