So … hubby and I planted only a few handfuls of wheat seeds.
Our wheat patch was quite small, as you can see. And since this was our very first time attempting to grow wheat, hubby and I did not really know how much to expect in terms of yield.
To be honest, we didn’t really expect that much from our wheat crop. Over the past few weeks, hubby and I have been guessing that we might get about ½ cup of wheat berries in the end. Hubby was hoping there would be enough to at least make a muffin.
Here you can see our total yield … almost 4 cups! Just shy of 4 cups.
That’s amazing!
Into the grinder goes 1 cup of wheat berries …
Out of the grinder comes flour!
That’s amazing!
And in the end, our grand total yield was exactly 6 cups of flour! That’s amazing!!
Not only is that enough to bake some Honey-Wheat Bread … it’s more than enough! My Honey-Wheat Bread recipe calls for 4 ½ cups whole-wheat flour. Which leaves 1 ½ cups extra left over! That’s amazing!
God gives the yield!
It reminds me of the account in the Gospels where Jesus fed an entire crowd with just 5 small loaves and 2 fish … and there was extra left over! That’s what God did for hubby and me! God gave us more than enough! … with extra left over!
When hubby and I embarked on this endeavor, we didn’t know if it “would be worth it.” After all, we had never grown wheat before. We didn’t know what we were doing.
And … our climate here in the Pacific Northwest is cold, grey, and rainy. There’s not much sunshine. Would wheat even grow?? It might be wasted effort.
As the summer progressed, we were filled with excitement and hope as we watched the wheat grow!
Then, in mid-August a surprise thunderstorm blew in one evening and absolutely dumped rain! Just when the wheat was almost ripe for harvest!
It’s ok. It’s just one thunderstorm. The wheat will dry out.
Then a few days later, another thunderstorm blew in and dumped even more rain!
Then our temperatures dropped down into the 50’s (which is completely uncharacteristic for the middle of August!) … and it proceeded to drizzle and rain for the next week straight!
Hubby and I feared the worst. We feared we had lost the wheat altogether.
But finally … at the end of August the sun came back out, and the weather warmed back up again. Ok … now our wheat can finally dry out. All might not be completely lost after all.
Hubby and I decided to wait a day or so to let the wheat dry out a bit before harvesting it.
Then it rained again! Seriously?!?
All along the way there were doubts and questions:
* Was there going to be a harvest??
* Was this all just wasted effort??
* Were we going to get any wheat berries in the end??
A verse which comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 3:6-8:
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but it is God who gives the increase. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
“The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”
When it comes to working for God’s Kingdom, it oftentimes feels a lot like hubby’s and my efforts at growing wheat. Oftentimes we aren’t quite sure what we are doing, but we “scatter seed” anyway!
And all along the way, there are doubts and questions:
* Will the “seed” even take root?
* Will birds come and gobble all the “seed” up?
* Will the “wheat” even have a chance in this “climate” where we live??
* Is all this just wasted effort??
* Oh no!! A surprise thunderstorm just blew in and absolutely dumped rain!! Is all lost?? Is it all for naught??
* Is all this effort I’m pouring out for God’s Kingdom accomplishing anything at all?? … Is there even going to be any yield in the end??
YES!! There is going to be yield in the end!
Because it is God who gives the increase!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
