Bringing in the Sheaves

As I knelt to pray last night, I heard the words to a hymn from my childhood.  "We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!"  I smiled as I thought about my Mom (Now in Heaven) in recollection, and how she exposed me to all kinds of beautiful music.  I learned classical, broadway, gospel, John Denver, and many other styles of music.
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Bringing in the sheaves
bringing in the sheaves
We shall come rejoicing
bringing in the sheaves

Sowing in the morning
sowing seeds of kindness
Sowing in the noontide
and the dewy eve
Waiting for the harvest
and the time of reaping
We shall come rejoicing 
bringing in the sheaves
(listen to it at the link above)

Sowing in the sunshine sowing in the shadows
Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilly breeze
By and by the harvest and the labor ended
We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves

I realize that there is a deeper meaning that song, than what I am about to say, but for me I knew it was that Heavenly Father is pleased with my efforts to change and literal and physical labors.  I knew hearing this song wasn't coincidence, because this last week I have truly been working harder than ever to accomplish worthy home improvement goals.

Having 5 young children, I've been scrubbing walls, puttying in holes, spray-spackling walls, re-screening (and I even learned how to make and repair my own window screens--thanks to YouTube! :) windows.  Part of my efforts are out of necessity and especially out of a feeling that I need to hurry to finish putting things in my life in order.

Indeed, I've been working much like another song that came into my mind about a week ago....The Flight of the Bumblebee.  Like the busy bee, I am working to exhaustion each day.  And yet, even as I was out raking up leaves and picking up in my back yard the other day, I smiled, and said out loud, "I feel happy and grateful to be working in my wilderness."

I used to be lazy, inefficient, and disorganized.  I used to think only of my my personal entertainment and comforts.  Now I am becoming a new women through Christ. I am learning to work hard and love it.  I feel intense joy and satisfaction from my labors, as well as from the knowledge I am learning in the process of experience.  I'm even teaching my children how to do things that I wish I'd learn when I was young.  (I taught my 13 and 15 year old son and daughter by letting them each re-screen a window themselves :)

It's never too late to begin.  If you have a lot to do, as I do, then just start somewhere. My tip to you is to make a list and list what needs to be done by order of most important.  Here's what mine looks like. :P (Any of you want to come help me get them accomplished?!:))

Okay, I really need to go. I figure I can clean some of my outside windows while I wait for it to be dark enough to light fireworks with my anxious and excited children, who keep pestering us to start prematurely!!

If you don't have much energy, then I hope you will find one thing to start tomorrow.  If you have more energy then do a little more.  Shut off the TV or Cell phone and make a difference  in your world!

Heavenly Father will bless you as you try.  I promise. I feel his blessings of added energy and health as I keep trying, and praying for His help.






D&C 6:3 --Doctrine and Covenants

Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore,

whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle

with his might, and reap while the day lasts, 

that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation 

in the kingdom of God.

That's quite a wonderful promise.  Let's accomplish our work together and make a difference in our world--wherever we may be.

Christine