If I Only had a Brain

Sometimes our job is to plow the fields, getting them ready for planting...
We may be the very first Christians some people meet that they don't hate.

Sometimes our job is to sow the seeds...
We live our lives for Christ, allowing those around us to witness the difference He makes in and for us.

Sometimes we are the rain, the sunshine, or the fertilizer...
We have opportunities to pour out love, shine the light of God's Word, and bring the Truth alive by sharing how God is working in our lives.

Sometimes we get to bring in the harvest...
We may even get to lead someone to accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.

Sometimes we are the scarecrow, keeping pests away.
We do our best to drive away the enemy when he tries to distract them and help them stay focussed on their growth.

I spend most of my time being a scarecrow. (Feel free to envision my face on the body of Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz, singing the famous - and fitting - song, "If I Only had a Brain.") For some reason, when people are afraid, stressed, confused, and losing their faith, they come to me. My job is to wave my arms around and holler until the crows fly away. Wait, I mean my job is to love them, encourage them, bring them back to Christ and His Truths through prayer and Scripture.

Being a scarecrow isn't the most glorious job. The harvesters really have the job that offers the highest dividends. The scarecrow job description is kinda like the spiritual janitor - helping sweep away all the junk and clutter so that the Truth shines through. The thing is, clean-up is a never ending job. Just as soon as you think you've got it all gleaming, someone walks through your hard work with their muddy boots. Or, back to the scarecrow analogy - as the crow flies away it poops on your head. It can sometimes be a rather inglorious occupation.

Every now and then, though, the scarecrow gets a blessed reminder about the importance of his job.

Last week, a 12-year-old boy from my old home church was killed in a freak accident. These are the things that can make or break the faith of everyone involed.

So far, two women have contacted me to help them process this situation. One was on her way to be with the family, another a friend with an "overprotective" nature when it comes to her children. They didn't come to me for wisdom or advice; I'm pretty sure they don't think I'm all that sage. They came to me because they needed someone to help them cry out to Jesus and scare away all the fears and worries that were threatening to overtake their minds.

So I grabbed my Bible, took to my knees, flapped my straw-filled arms in the air to keep those nasty pests away, and together we found our Source of peace.

I may not get to bring in the harvest, leading people to a new faith in Christ. I may not get to spend a lot of time with people who don't know Him, preparing the ground, sowing seeds, fertilizing. My job is to tend the fields where the "hard work" has already been done. But I am reminded that each step - each person - in the cultivation process makes a difference in the final crop. Even brainless, straw-stuffed, human-like figurines with sticks up their butts...

* Please, take a moment to pray for the family who is experiencing the greatest sorrow imaginable. Please pray for Mom, Dad, brother, and sister.