Years ago my aunt and uncle owned a u-pick blueberry farm. I lived nearby, and during harvest season, I would drive over and pick as many berries as I could. The farm provided a bucket with a string to loop around your neck, leaving your hands free for picking. You paid by weight in the end, and I would go home with enormous flats of fresh blueberries.

Fortunately, I love blueberries. Even so, I always ended up with more than I could ever eat, and I can eat a lot. I learned to make jam because I had to figure out something to do with all those berries. I gave away homemade blueberry jam at Christmas.

On good years, when I timed it just right, the berries on the bushes were fat and juicy. They all seemed to be ripe at once and clung to the branches in thick, heavy clusters. Picking them was so easy. All I had to do was hold the branch over my bucket and sort of sweep the berries in. It was as if they were ready, just waiting for someone to release them from the stem.

There were row after row of plants. It never seemed crowded in the field when I got picking, even when the parking lot seemed full. I could always find bushes that were heavy with ripe berries waiting to be picked.

Jesus said this is as true of His harvest field as it was of my aunt and uncle’s blueberry farm.

“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” (Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38,‬ ‭NLT)‬‬

I’m not a missionary although I have gone on a few “mission” trips. I don’t walk around my neighborhood talking about Jesus. And I don’t look around at people in the grocery store, the library, the sidewalk, or the tennis court thinking, “here are some people ready and eager to hear the good news about Jesus.”

But maybe I should.

Jesus said the harvest is plentiful. With berries, it’s easy to see when they are ripe. With people, how do I know?

I guess I just have to trust Jesus and bring my bucket up to the branch and give it a shake.

With both berries and with people, a lot of work has been done to get them to the point of readiness. Ready for harvest. Someone planted the seeds and nurtured the plants as they grew. They weeded and pruned and fertilized. God provided rain and sun and bees to pollinate. He taught the bushes how to grow and blossom and fruit. Until finally, I show up, and with one sweep of the hand, I get the credit for the harvest.

I can’t tell by looking at someone whether their heart is ready to hear about God’s love for them. But I don’t need to know. God just says to trust Him that many are here, all around me, hungry to hear. All I have to do is that one final step of harvest. Open my mouth and tell them. Reach out with my hand and love them.

Dear God, you know who around me is ready to hear about you. Show me who is ready for me to tell them about your love, and for me to show them your love in practical ways. Give me the right words at the right time, and teach me to trust you with all the rest. Fill me with wisdom, strength, and courage for the harvest at hand.