Week: August 22nd-27th

There are mixed emotions in the air at the last week of fresh fruit. We have been reflecting back on the Summer as a whole, and are excited, looking forward to the next season.

We started the week, still processing peaches, we heard the usual rumble of forklifts and the plant bell ringing once in a while, and laughter and joy in the midst of all the noise.  Wednesday came and a tear of sentiment came down my cheek as I took a picture of last peach bin being dumped.

On Thursday and Friday soup plant was filled with cheering sounds and the smell of garlic powder. Other work activities included Summer dorms being transformed back into their Winter mode. And I have a little news for all the quilters that come, the quilt room is getting a makeover, the old carpet wall has come down and fresh wooden pallet wall is going up with a fresh paint.

As I reflect on this Summer the scripture from Zechariah 8:12 come to mind:

“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.”

God has planted many people here this Summer. He has watered them, pruned them, and done His work in them – literally produced spiritual and physical fruit.  It’s not all over yet. It seems like the harvest has come, but there is more. We harvest what God produced and we continue to plant a new seed. There is still shipping the food, giving it to the hungry soul and seeing it grow and multiply from glory to glory.

It was an amazing summer with 2,000,000 servings of soup made, 6,000,000 Lbs. of fresh fruit processed, 420,000 Lbs. of dried fruit buckets, ready to be shipped by almost 1,000 volunteers. That’s one summer serving God here at Gleanings.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!