Taking Inventory of Life's Goals - Using Fall Harvest to Plan Ahead

by Barbara Latta

Taking inventory of life's goals - using fall harvest
to plan ahead.

Fall is a time of harvesting fruits and vegetables that were planted during the late summer months. Apple trees blush with red-ripened fruit and pansies bloom among pumpkins, cabbages, broccoli. Farmers are cutting hay and binding it into bales to support their animals in the winter season.

The produce filling barns and baskets is a result of planting seeds. Without seeds there would be no abundance and our fall and winter tables would suffer.

As the year comes to a close, we will soon begin holiday preparations and our minds turn to baking cookies, buying gifts and roasting turkey. With all these schedule fillers, our thoughts don’t think about spiritual matters the way we should.

But this is a good time to scrutinize life’s harvest for the past months. If the output is not what we want, the yield can change by starting now to plant new seeds.

Taking inventory can be done by answering these questions about the past year:

Did I reach the goals I made at the beginning of 2017? If not, it’s not too late to start the list over. Setting goals doesn’t have to be done at the start of the year. Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).

Do I like the attitudes I am harboring now? Inspect thoughts and find out where any bad seeds have been planted and root them out. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).

Introspection now can bloom with
ideas for next year.

Did I influence as many people as I wanted to this year for the kingdom of God? Then he said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

I have to answer all three of these questions with no. I don’t have the harvest I want, but introspection now can bloom with new goals and dreams when I am ready to start a new list.

My harvest now can be fertile ground for next year’s planting if I rip out the bad seeds that have started to grow before they take root.

And above all, if goals have not been met and the fruit of attitudes is not what you want, don’t succumb to guilt. God doesn’t beat us up over failures. He just gives us a new day to start again. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

How do you handle your harvest? Please share your thoughts and plant a seed in another person’s life with your ideas.

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