Short Rows

When I was growing up on the farm in Johnston County, many of our summer days were spent in the field, chopping weeds from around soybean plants or topping tobacco, which meant breaking the pink flowers from the top, preparing for harvest. Those rows might as well have been a country mile! On those steamy, hot days, it seemed they'd never end!

No words were more soothing than when Daddy would say "We're in the short rows now, girls." After going a few rounds in the field, a sweet reward was waiting at the end of the row, an RC Cola, and a moon pie or a little Coca Cola and a pack of nabs . Simply speaking, a pack of peanut butter crackers from Nabisco! So refreshing after hard work.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been in the long rows, feeling overwhelmed with end of quarter expectations; grading, assessing and finishing report cards, in addition to the day to day, just waiting to hear daddy say, "You're in the short rows now girl!"

Today, for the first time in a couple of weeks I finally felt like I was able to catch my breath. At last reaching those short rows. That feeling of refreshing that only peace from God can give you when you know you've done your best.

Hebrews: 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you
will receive what he has promised.

There is such a sense of peace and accomplishment with hard work. As a child I was taught to always approach every task with a cheerful heart. I can honestly say I wasn't always so cheerful when I was getting my summer tan in the field rather than by a pool, but many a valuable lesson was learned in that field. There are times that when I find myself bogged down, I am in less than a cheerful frame of mind. This quote below, by Walter Elliot, is really what it is all about! One day at a time, one step at a time, staying focused on God to guide you to the short rows.

Perseverance is not a long race;
it is many short races one after
another.
-Walter Elliot, The Spiritual Life

Ginger