Sowing in The Shadows

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows…We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves. These precious words of an old hymn are what my heart has been clinging to over the last several months. There have been drastic job changes, family illness, and tragedy; all the while trying to keep up with the daily duties of motherhood, homemaking, farming, and working with my husband to start a full time family/farm business. It has certainly been a season of shadows. I would be lying if I said I haven’t had my moments of hopelessness and despair.

The truth is there are plenty of days when the doubt creeps in, the demands become more than I think I can mentally and emotionally handle, and I am tempted to believe that I will dwell among the shadows indefinitely. It’s then I can feel God drawing me back into His Son, and I’m reminded once again that this grief- the heartache I feel, the doubts that scream at me everyday- they are not in vain. I’m reminded that every single Hero of Faith written about in the Bible went through some form of pain and testing before seeing God’s plan and purpose come full circle. Each one of them had to sow in the shadows before bringing in the sheaves, and just as it is with gardening, so as it is in our lives. The tilling of the land has to happen first before a single seed can be planted. Without the initial breaking open of the dirt, the harvest is impossible.

While the refining is painful and daunting, I have to cling to God’s Word and learn from the examples of the great men and women who have gone before and stayed the course throughout their own excruciating and unfathomable trials. There are so many examples, but I will share a few that stand out to me the most.

The first woman who comes to mind is Ruth. In the midst of deep grief and the promptings of her mother-in-law telling her to go back to her homeland because she had nothing left to offer her, Ruth refused and left everything she had known to avoid being separated-sowing in the shadows. Then one day she unexpectedly meets Boaz, marries, bears a son, and becomes a part of Jesus’ genealogy-bringing in the sheaves.

Next I think of Joseph. Sold as a slave by the hands of his own brothers, falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison, being forgotten by the cup-bearer who was supposed to help him get out of prison, and yet remained steadfast-sowing in the shadows. Then on a day that was just like any other, the cup-bearer remembers Joseph, mentions him to Pharaoh, and finds such favor in the king’s eyes that he puts Joseph in charge of all of Egypt where eventually his brothers come and reconciliation is brought forth-bringing in the sheaves.

Then there’s Job. A faultless man who was faced with the death of his family, destruction of his land and livestock, and physical pain that was insufferable. Even still he praised God and refused to curse Him-sowing in the shadows. Eventually his testing was brought to an end and he was blessed with 22,000 heads of livestock, 7 sons, 3 beautiful daughters, and lived to see his children and their children to the 4th generation-bringing in the sheaves.

Ultimately, I think of our precious Savior, Jesus. Blameless, yet beaten beyond recognition, hurling insults blaring in His ears, hanging naked on the cross when with just one word He could have brought himself down, yet allowed His body to be broken so that we could be forgiven and have the hope of eternal life-sowing in the shadows. Then on the third day overcoming sin and death by His miraculous resurrection from the grave and ultimately revealing His power and glory-bringing in the sheaves.

While this current season is arduous and was not something I would have chosen, I hold tight to my good and gracious Father and grasp to His promise of those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of joy. Despite the tears, the pain, the frustration, the confusion- today I will continue to sow in the shadows for I know that in God’s good and perfect timing He will bring forth the sheaves in manifold. Even if the reaping doesn’t happen here on Earth, I know beyond a shadow that the storehouse He has prepared in Heaven is overflowing. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

Abide in Him Always,

Ashley