~To Thee I Cry~

It was two Friday nights ago. My family and I were settling down after a lovely vespers.

I picked up one of our treasured, coverless Old Hymnals whose pages of music notes and English words full of rich messages aliven my whole being. I walked back and forth in our "living room" randomly picking and singing one beautiFUL song right after another. The rest of my family would join in on and off. Their harmony added to the life and meaning of the melodies and the messages.

After singing a few songs, I flipped to now one of my top favorite hymns, "Far and Near the Fields Are Teeming." The message sunk to the chore of my heart. "Lord, send forth reapers!", my heart cried. I felt the significance and depth of the meaning. Then and now as I think of the words to this song, I can feel the tears of sadness, and urgency in my soul. There are hardly any reapers and that so few have a genuine vision for mission work for both at their homeland and abroad. Only the bare minority understand and untiringly answer the calling for God's people, "Go into ALL the world..." You know the commission. How will you respond, dear friend? Are you awake to your duty and privileged calling or are you a sleeping soldier who is only professing follower of Christ? Are you waiting for a "more convenient time"...for being a missionary? I pray, that if you are, you will realize before it's too late that often the fate of such a decision is that a "more convenient time" winever come. Or have you come to believe the FALSE idea that there are enough missionaries, especially overseas or in certain countries such as in Asia? The devil is trying to do all he can to keep Seventh-day Adventists from fulfilling the commission (Mat. 28) that God has given to every individual.

Far and Near the Fields Are Teeming

Vs.1

Far and near the fields are teeming

With the sheaves of ripened grain;

Far and near their gold is gleaming

O'er the sunny slope and plain.

CHORUS:

Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!

Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry;

Send them now the sheaves to gather,

Ere the harvest time pass by.

Vs. 2

Send them forth with morn's first beaming,

Send them in the noon-tide's glare;

When the sun's last rays are streaming,

Bid them gather everywhere.

Vs. 3

O thou, whom thy Lord is sending,

Gather now the sheaves of gold;

Heaven-ward then at evening wending

Thou shalt come with JOY UNTOLD.

I cannot and don't think that I will ever be able to thank God enough for missionary life: it's countless, amazing, beautiful JOYS; it's inconveniences that are there to strength me and help me to be more flexible instead getting bent out of shape, it's priceless REWARDS, it's challenges both small and seemingly great, it's faith-building experiences, and so much more!  :D

"Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!...Send them now..."