Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 21,34,37 Psalm 79, James 5
This last weekend, I was in Detroit, Michigan, for one of my son’s hockey tournaments. Along the drive, I was grateful to observe the beautiful colors of the fall foliage in Michigan. On the way there, the route showed delays throughout the interstate route . I knew I couldn’t do the traffic, so I took the back route, which presented as only a few more minutes. Most of these additional minutes would be spent behind farm vehicles harvesting the fields. For me It was the perfect ride. This drive made me reflect on James who uses numerous metaphors and illustrations to make his point very similar to the way Jesus would. 
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
The ride also helped me think about the loss of one of our close friends ( Heidi Zell), who was our neighborhood mother and/or grandmother to many. To me, she modeled kindness, care, and love for many. There was a lot of tears in our family and loss ow words. The only words I could use for my 13, 9, and 6 year old is that God loves us more than anything and He decides when we spend eternity with Him.
James shairs with us that the lives of those who believe should be marked by a peaceful assurance of His returnand faithful efforts to increase the harvest of souls for the Kingdom. Just as the farmers I saw understood to wait patiently for the crop to grow, so we should all be patient in waiting for Him to com once again.
Enjoy being with our Lord in Heaven Heidi! Thanks for showing His love through the love and kindness you gave to everyone. Luke 23:43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.