Summer Holidays

By now most schools have broken up for the long summer holidays. The six-week break has from time to time been questioned by those who perhaps do not understand why this is so.  August is harvest time, and, back in the day, the children were needed at home and on the farms, to help gather in the corn. It was hard manual labour, many jobs to do, the culmination of a year’s work. At times the weather was poor and harvesting went on for many weeks. The sheaves were stacked and kept to be threshed later in the autumn.

The book of Ruth, in the Bible is set at harvest time. It is a story of the love and devotion of a girl for her mother-in-law but also of God’s over- ruling and care.  Ruth went out into the fields gleaning, at harvest, picking up fallen ears of grain to grind into flour, for herself and her mother-in-law to eat.  God had commanded the farmers to leave some of the crop behind for the poor and needy. The work was very tiring, the hours worked were very long, it was hot, dusty and exhausting as harvesting still is.

Today, with automation, the scene is very different but not without its’ challenges.

Annie Johnson Flint wrote: – 

          God has not promised skies always blue, flower strewn pathways all our life through.

          God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. 

          BUT God has promised strength for the day, 

          Rest for the labour, light for the way. 

          Grace for the trials, help from above, 

          Unfailing sympathy, undying love. 

          God’s promise is “My presence will go with you” (Ex 33:14)

  MC