As soon as cooler weather set in, the pecans started to drop. I may have mentioned in a previous post how we grew anxious and prematurely pulled green pecans off of the branches. Yeah, not a good idea. **Greedy, greedy, green-pecan farmers!** In the end, it wasn't worth it. Despite the fabulous drying system Andrew created, the pecans just weren't ready. The green shells dried and shriveled up in the sun. Instead of opening, they entombed the little nuts into a rock-hard sphere worthy of the trash.
With Andrew having done the legwork upfront, it was time for us girls to pull our weight with the harvesting part of the pecan farming bid'ness. Yes, I will readily admit to enlisting my child into pecan picking labor, but she loved it. She was also paid handsomely with as many nuts as she wanted to eat. The school teacher in me would like to further note that aside from a belly full of pecans, she garnered lessons about botany, hard work and reward, not to mention attaining some mad sorting skills.
Depending on the day and how windy it was, we'd pick for a good 15 minutes each afternoon. Some days were more fruitful than others, but even when there wasn't much, there'd still be something to pick up. Having quickly grown tired of the bend-down-pick-up method, I got creative and turned picking into a workout. Yes, I did. No joke. For reals.
So far, I've picked pecans doing squats and lunges all across the yard, in the downward dog yoga pose, and in a one-handed plank. I can assure you that it's no exercise to sneeze at. Furthermore, I can give you a testimony to the benefits of my "Pecan Picking Workout" program. Aside from looking like an idiot in front of your child, you will gain better glutes, toned arms and abs, not to mention a bucket full of pecans. It's all about the multitasking here people. But back to my story...
Last night we had a cold front blow in which knocked pecans from the tree. I know this because it took me forever to fall asleep, and I could hear what sounded like hail being pummeled at our roof. Today after lunch, Olivia and I bundled up and headed for the backyard. I've had a feeling that our pecan picking days have been coming to a close (both because I'm getting tired of picking and because there has been less and less to gather), so I didn't know what to expect.
What to my wondering eyes should appear?! Pecans! EVERYWHERE! There were nuts covering almost every inch of our backyard! I was overwhelmed! I still am! I grabbed a big basket and we started picking like mad. I tried a few of my yoga-picking poses but there were just too many pecans to gather in. There were so many in fact that I plain old got down on my knees and started grabbing as many as I could with both hands. I knew the pecans weren't going anywhere, but I felt an urgency due to the cold wind and the overwhelming amount of pecans there were to collect.
Olivia was having a blast and I could hear her singing "Crack em!" as she dropped pecans into the basket. As silly as it may sound, my adrenaline picked up as I was literally grabbing handfuls of pecans each time I reached down. A harvest this great was beyond what we'd imagined. Absolutely unreal...almost epic compared to what we'd expected to get.
As I gathered in this great harvest, a parallel came rushing to my mind. In the past couple of years, a few of my girlfriends, godly women who have waited patiently and faithfully for "Mr. Right", have met their man. Some have married, some are now married with munchkins, and some will soon be "Mrs". They have spent years cultivating godly character, put in the time to establish a good name, and been faithful to pray and wait for the fruit. These things have not come easily, nor without a fight, but they're reaping the blessings of their obedience.
The idea of waiting for "the harvest" applies to so many areas of our lives. We're all waiting for something. And God, in His perfect timing, knows exactly when to bring the increase. When He does, the joy of gathering in His goodness is so full and filling, it can almost be nauseating. You may think you've experienced His blessing, but you look around and there's more to be found. The previous struggles you experienced are made nothing in light of the abundance at hand.
"And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
