To most observers who pass by the farm this time of year, it appears that there is little to no activity.
The fields are blanketed in brilliant, sparkling white with almost no movement apparent, except for the flock of hens, who themselves stick very close to the mobile chicken coop and whose pecking at the earth is almost imperceptible.
Most folks assume there is nothing happening at the farm. The stretch of frigid temperatures, which extended the presence of the snowpack, enhances the image of the farm in hibernation.
Nevertheless, there is equipment being overhauled, lettuces being harvested from the greenhouses, ag seminars to attend, and plans for the 2025 growing season under discussion.
Naturally, we review the results from the prior season even as we look ahead, to identify those areas for expanded production, new techniques or approaches to maximize efficiencies and harvest totals, and especially “lessons learned” from the experiences of the season that was.
Since our farm is a Christian, community-based nonprofit, involving thousands of people who volunteer to help in the harvest and tens of thousands of people in need who receive the food that is produced and distributed through the farm, this is also a time when we cover plans for the upcoming growing season in prayer.
We know from our 26 years of experience as a farming ministry that we can anticipate many highs and lows in 2025.
We pray about the encounters we will have with people, machinery and the earth.
We praise God for how the farm will be a means to bless people, and we pray for wisdom and discernment, strength and fortitude, protection and safety in all our endeavors on this beautiful piece of farmland.
As we look ahead, with one eye on the rearview mirror to make sure we learn from our mistakes, we know with confidence that there will be disappointments along the way.
Just upon review of the 2024 growing season, our production hopes were hindered by drought conditions which reduced the promise of some fields that had been planted; then an enemy that had been previously unknown to us attacked the otherwise beautiful onion crop, damaging its yield; and at one point or another, tasks were left undone or equipment was left unchecked, leading to costly disruptions or repairs.
Disappointment is a fact of life, and as we pray for bountiful harvests and resources to meet our needs in achieving those results, we also pray for our hearts to be prepared for the disappointments that will surely come in the months ahead.
It is one thing to be disappointed when the weather fails to support our planting schedule, or when an insect or deer damage impacts the harvest.
But the Bible teaches us how to respond to the most difficult disappointments, when people let us down or even break our hearts.
Disappointment that stems from the actions of another person can feel like a betrayal.
We thought the other person was sensitive to our needs and desires, or that we had an agreement on how we would proceed together, only for the other to put their needs and desires first or step away from the vision we thought we shared.
When Moses returned from Mount Sinai with God’s law and discovered his brother Aaron leading a raucous party of idolatry with the Hebrews (Genesis 32), or when Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers when he was just 17 (Genesis 37), their disappointment in people they loved must have been a heavy burden.
When the rich, young ruler approached Jesus (Matthew 19:16-26), seemingly intent on becoming a follower and earnestly inquiring of the path to eternal life, and was told that his obedience to the law was important but that he also had to sell his possessions and give to the poor, the account repeated in three of the gospels tells us the young man went away grieving, and he is not mentioned again in the Bible.
Was the young man disappointed in Jesus? Probably. Was Jesus disappointed in the young man? Maybe, but Jesus understood that in our sinful nature, we are each and all ultimately self-centered.
A selfless, Christ-centered life is only possible through faith, and only truly experienced when we pass into glory. We humans will always disappoint one another. There is only one who never disappoints, and that is Jesus Christ.
It is also true that no matter the particular circumstances or disappointments we face, the Lord is with us in the midst of the pain and hardship.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Even more, God promises that his purposes will not be thwarted (Proverbs 19:21) and, in fact, God uses all of it to accomplish his good.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Eventually, as Joseph was in a position to forgive and help his brothers, he proclaimed that what they had meant for evil, God meant for good (Genesis 50:20).
Just as when we consider and pray about the disappointments we faced last season, and the disappointments that lie ahead in 2025, we believe in faith that God will use them to draw us closer to himself, and hopefully closer to living as Christ-centered followers, trusting God alone, to use it all for our good and his glory.
