Are You Leaving Enough Love For Others To Glean?

Deuteronomy 24:19-21 - When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.  When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.

It was God’s plan to always care for those that found themselves in hard times…especially the foreigner ...the fatherless…and the widow. Moses made sure that he reminded the Israelites one more time…of God’s plan before he left them. Leave some of the grain…the grapes…the olives in your fields for the poor…the needy…the ones that found themselves alone…the ones who were traveling to new places.

Ruth knew this practice well. God led her to the fields of Boaz. As she gleaned his fields ...God also allowed Boaz to be curious about the hard work she did and her background…building a new relationship between them.  God took care of Ruth in full because of this law.

Jesus even gleaned.  In Matthew 12….it retells how he and the disciples picked some grain to eat as they traveled. Jesus knew before he ate it that he was going to use it for a sermon later…when the Pharisees took offense that he did it on a Sabbath. 

I am not a farmer…or even own land with any food….so I must push the definition of gleaning to a deeper level…to apply its meaning to my life. If I apply this principle to my retired life… to everything I do…I could ask myself… “What am I leaving for others to glean from what I do each day?” Quickly…some of the ministries and activities I am involved in come to mind.  Each quilt that is sewn and given away…each card I write to the homebound… every person I pray with at helping hands ( our church food ministry) … evry bag of laundry I have done this summer for the Ministry trainees studying at our church…this week I also helped pray with some local police.  All these things leave seeds of God’s warmth and love for those who don’t know him to glean.

The world must not be leaving enough of Jesus for everyone to glean.  The world is leaving so many  seeds of evil and hate lately that we need to plant double what we are used too to overcome the weeds that grow in the fields of love and generosity Jesus wants us to plant. For me that means doubling what I already do….stopping and asking God to help me find even more ways to plant his seeds of love around my community…my nation…my world.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you need my help to spread your love throughout the world. Forgive me for the times that I have done nothing…or a little as I think I have time.  Open my heart and mind to every way possible that I can use the resources and time you allow in my life to plant more seeds of your love …so more of the lost in this world can know you.  Amen.