Sweet corn harvest seems to be an odd surprise each year. Odd because it happens every year. It’s around the same time each summer, but it can vary by weeks or even a month, depending on the planting (and possibly replanting) date, as well as the weather. How much rain? How much heat? What about insects and critters? Especially near the end, raccoons and deer can do a lot of damage and steal the best of the harvest.

I knew the time was nearing this summer, but we hadn’t yet reached the “check the field regularly” stage. The field is on the family farm neighbors’ land. They plant, and we get to pick and put up as much as we want. It’s a blessing for sure. I was at the farm for other reasons, but we decided to stop by the field to gauge how mature the corn was. I wanted to get an idea of when I might need to plan a day for picking. It was usually best to pick early in the morning before the heat of the summer day. When we stopped by the field, it was already early afternoon.

And the corn was ready. It was in good shape—no bugs, no coons, no deer.

It was easy to pick, because there was a plethora. I’m not sure I ever picked corn in the middle of the day. Corn fields get hot. This day was warm, but it wasn’t unbearable. There was a slight breeze. Then a shower blew through, cooling me off a bit more. There was no reason to stop picking. The corn was ready. The rain would stop. I’d picked corn in the rain before.

The corn was worth getting wet and filthy. The combination of heat, rain, crops, and mud made me look like I had been through quite the mess by the time I went home. But I had fresh corn, despite not realizing it would be harvest day when I woke up that morning.

I appreciate the lessons I’ve learned from farm life through the years, and they never seem to stop even though I haven’t lived on the farm for years. That day I was reminded that there is often a surprise harvest in the day, but I have to be willing to check for it and even potentially get a little messy in the process. There isn’t a physical crop ready every day, but God gives me something to harvest—through an obstacle to overcome, a challenge to persevere, a hurt to heal, a friend to help, hope to choose, faith to live. The harvest is often the character that is revealed by my willingness to reflect and cultivate. The harvest is a moment when many small steps lead into an a-ha moment. I can miss it if I’m not attentive and willing. So can you. But I hope you’ll check the field today and see what might be ready for you to harvest, appreciate, and enjoy.

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