Article January 7, 2008 Issue

Safe and green on the farm-in God's care

BY HELEN CRONIN

IT'S NOW SUMMER on our farm in Australia. When my article, "Praying our way out of desperation," appeared in the Sentinel in May (see May 7, 2007, p. 10), we'd been experiencing a drought in Queensland for over a decade, with little or no rain. Our dams, or water reservoirs, were very low. Although my husband, Dudley, and I had been praying during this extended time, there seemed to be no prospect of planting our winter crop of wheat and barley.

But the publication of our article brought new momentum and inspiration to our prayers. An outpouring of letters, phone calls, and e-mail messages came from readers in Australia, the United States, and Canada, letting us know that we were in their prayers. I couldn't believe it! Such love and care deeply moved Dudley and me. We could actually feel the support of others praying right along with us.

Then, sufficient rain fell for us to plant our winter crop. I'm convinced this was the result of prayer. At the time, we had enough finances to buy seed and fertilizer, so we began to plant right after the rain—relying on God as our "Director" of business. These Bible verses helped me to do that: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5, 6). I knew that when we lean on what we see with our eyes as if it's the ultimate reality, our vision of what God is maintaining and directing is blocked. So I prayed diligently to see God at work, giving us harmony and abundance.