My Super Human Girlfriend and The Gassy Harvest

"My girlfriend is a legend" I thought, as I watched the ax fall with a loud crack as she split wood for kindling. It was 6 am, and the fleeting night air still had a substantial chill. Yet, she was standing there in a billowy baby doll style night gown. Every muscle glistened in the dim light and it cast an eerie, almost super human glow on her. She paid no mind to the chilly wind, but kept on splitting the wood. Her frame was perfect, just perfect. If she wasn't one of my closest friends, I'd envy her 6 pack abs and her tiny muscular frame.

We pulled out of the driveway into the twilight morning, and the vision of Elasta Woman left a permanent imprint on my mind. She's the woman who can do anything. She works circles around all others. She blends, chops, marinades, cans, and ferments anything she can get her hands on. Her house always seems to be spotless. Her children are always educated (by her), and capable of any imaginable task. All her girls, even the 8 year old knows how to run a chain saw, a motorcycle, and about any tool or engine imaginable. They all work with with capable hands. Despite every obstacle the enemy throws, she seems to land on her feet relatively unscathed. She's truly one to inspire.

When my house is an unmanagable disaster, I pretend to be Elasta Woman. I imagine how she smiles and moves about, until its a managable disaster. When my husband is stubborn, I imagine how she smiles and puts on her charm and somehow takes it all in stride. When I don't feel friendly in a crowd, again, I remember how she smiles and shows acceptance. She makes friends a lot easier than most. She just seems to see you across a room, and smiles this inviting smile that pulls you into her world and she makes you feel good about yourself.

As a matter of fact, if i'm spinning my wheels, all I have to do is find out what she's been up to and then I remember to get off my butt and copy whatever given mission she's been undertaking. Except for crafts. If she's making something crafty, I draw the line there. Nope, I don't copy her if she's doing crafts.

Back to Elasta Woman, in the night air, with her billowy night gown splitting wood, almost effortlessly. I'm pretty sure I fall short there too. I dont' know how to chop kindling, but don't tell anybody. I've been lucky to have 3 boys and a man who've done that for me. I'm embarrassed to be living in Yaak and not be a wood splitter, so don't tell a soul. I'd prefer to keep everybody thinking all real Yaak women do such things.

As we drove away, I added "learn to split kindling" on my bucket list. I smiled at her oldest girl, Lynna. She was excited about the big trip we were undertaking. She, I and Saphira were driving to the big city to get supplies for Saphira's upcoming wedding. Just like in the story, the groom was coming for his bride and it wouldn't be long from now.

The summer had come and gone like fleeting breeze in the night air. Denver came once, and then he came again. This time when he comes it would be for my daughter, and things would never be the same again. She'd be gone and married to a wonderful man. And this wasn't just an ordinary wedding. Something in the Heavenlies ordained this, and unseen forces fought and won many invisible battles. I am imagining that Denver's mama prayed for many years for this day to come, and she would live to see the fuit of her labors. God has this way of fulfilling all things in His time.

Just as seasons were changing in The Yaak, seasons were changing in the Heavenlies as well. An out pouring of God's Spirit seemed to be spilling out all over in unimaginable places. Almost every time I found myself out and about, I ended up praying with somebody for something. People who once cursed God, softened. People who shunned religion turned from their blindness. Lonely people seemed to find their way back from the wrong path and suddenly a great light illuminated and dispelled the darkness. I couldn't help wondering if this coming wedding had some kind of significance in all of this.

In contrast, to the bright bright light, darkness also had its temporary parade of evil. I never saw so many marriages shaken, not in my life time. It seemed like every week I was hearing about solid 10 - 20 - 30 year relationships falling apart at the seams. I lost another baby before it ever got the chance to feel a heart beat in its chest. Darkness peered out in unsuspecting places and I was again taken aback at things that seemed solid shake to the foundations. I realized, in it all, that we could never stop praying. Some catastrophes will never be avoided. Other ones are averted and leave great testimonies for us to revel in, but these great stories would not come without prayer.

Elasta Woman and I harvested hard. We drove down into the lower cities and found fruit wherever it could be found. Ali Cat was also a worthy soldier in our gleaning plights as were all of our children. The harvesting and processing pressed us to the point of exhaustion, but in the time of harvest there is work to be done and we must not grow weary.

All this talk about fruit and harvests and weddings and super human girlfriends keeps giving me a creepy feeling like so much more is going on than just what we are seeing. It reminds me that while there is opportunity, we have to go out and seize it. Fruit falls from trees and missed opportunies are all to often are regreted and then forgotton. So many opportunities in front of us all. So many chances to make an eternal difference, and yet we don't look very far past ourselves to the world of hurting, lonely people around us.

I guess I will keep taking the cue from my super human girlfriend. In the end after we've worked hard and the day is through, we sit back and enjoy that accomplished proud feeling. My kids are gassy and tooting and think its funny what a dozen plums did to their gut. I smile at the full freezer and thank God for his great provision.  Little do I know, He's smiling down too, saying that I haven't seen anything yet. 
  
Out in the darkness, some forlorn, desperate person waits.  They wonder if anybody cares or even knows the pain their facing.  Hopelessness overwhelms them to the point they almost can't find the courage to gasp for one more breath.........  out there your harvest begins, and life as you know it can never be quite the same again................