Parable of Combines
The Parable of the
Combines
Mikros Vol. 5, No. 6, Nov-Dec, 1999
By Glenn C. Daman
There was once two combines. They were vastly different, as different as
combines could be. One was big and one was little. The little combine always
wished it was big, but the maker of combines had made it small. Some looked down
upon the little combine because it was small and not big and because it did not
have all the latest inventions and updates that the big combine had.
The big combine was the largest ever built. Everything about it spoke of
newness, freshness and bigness. It had all the latest tools and methodologies.
When it decided to find a location to park it did a survey of the wheat to fine
out where was the best place in the field so that the most wheat possible could
come to it. It was a wheat sensitive combine that tried to meet all the
different needs wheat might have. It had a nursery for small sprouts that were
just forming so the adult wheat would not be distracted when the wheat gathered
together. It had exercise rooms so that the wheat could be healthy. It even had
a restaurant so the wheat could come and be fed before the wheat gathered
together for their special worship service where they praised the maker of
wheat. In this service they sang contemporary choruses such as, "As the Wheat
Panteth for the Water," and other songs that came directly from the combine's
manual. It was a purpose driven combine that had a clear vision of taking the
combine manual and making it relevant and easily understood by the wheat. Thus
they had plays and skits to show how the wheat could apply the manual to their
life, although some felt that in so ding it failed to teach the deeper portions
of the manual.
This large combine had a number of full-time mechanics that were employed to
make sure that everything was running smoothly and efficiently. Their chief
mechanic was recognized throughout the country for his expertise in running
combines. He wrote numerous books for the wheat, books such as "Becoming
Contagious Wheat" to "Rediscovering Combines: The Story and Vision of Willow
River Community Combine." Because the chief mechanic was skilled at expounding
the combine manual for others he was asked to speak at Wheat Keepers and
Mechanic Leadership Conferences. He taught other mechanics how to set up a wheat
sensitive combine and how to develop the wheat within you. He even started a
school to train and equip other mechanics, offering academic degrees in
mechanicing and other combine related subjects. Because he was so busy writing
books, speaking at seminars, and running the combine he had little time to
actually spend with the wheat. So he hired other mechanics to minister to the
specialized needs of the wheat. They had the Wheat Education Director who as
responsible to assure that the wheat was properly train on how wheat should
live. They had a Youth Wheat mechanic to work with young wheat going through the
difficult transition from the boot to fully headed out. The large combine had a
mechanic of worship, a mechanic of counseling, and a mechanic of marriage. They
even hired assistant mechanics to help the head mechanics in each of their
tasks. So each part of the combine ran efficiently and smoothly.
They developed a support group for shrived wheat that did not develop properly
so that they would feel good about themselves and not feel inferior to other
wheat. While the wheat all enjoyed gathering together for a big celebration in
the bulk tank, they found that they needed to have smaller bins for special
meetings so that the wheat could develop a close community. These 'small bin
groups' divided the wheat according to age, interests and needs so that wheat
could be with other wheat like them.
But for all the greatness of size, the large combine did have its problems. Over
the course of time the mechanics noticed that they were getting a lot of wheat
in the header, but they were also loosing wheat out the back. This concerned
them greatly. So, to become better at keeping wheat in the combine, they brought
in a consultant to interview the wheat that was leaving. The consultant did
seminars on finding wheat and keeping them. Because the combine was so big, many
of the wheat were overlooked. They would come and go through the combine, but no
one would take notice of them because they got lost in the shuffle.
Furthermore, some of the wheat wanted to get involved but could not because they
did not feel adequately skilled and where intimidated by the large crowds.
However, many found the large combine to be a place where they could come and
rest and feel good.
All in all the big combine was pleased with itself, while there were many
problems, they figured at as long as they were getting more wheat in than they
were loosing out the back they were happy. And so everything continued to run
smoothly for this combine. When it ran, it sounded like the gentle breeze on a
summer day. It sparkled in the sunlight, as it stood tall, waiting for the
harvest to come.
Unlike, its large counter part, the small combine clanked and rattled as it ran.
Its paint was pealed and its metal rusted. It was not the most efficient combine
for many of its parts were old and some were slow to get things done. Because
it was old it had not adapted many of the newer innovations. It had worked for
so many years that the mechanic was reluctant to change lest it cause major
problems with the combine.
There was only one mechanic
to make sure that combine kept going. He did not have the education or training
of many other mechanics, but he did his best, patching up the holes and oiling
the squeaky bearings to keep things working. He did not write any books, he did
not conduct any seminars, although he did attend several of the seminars taught
by the mechanics of the big combine. But they only made him sad, for he realize
that while many of the ideas of the mechanic for the big combine where good
ideas, and worked for big combines, they would not work for his little combine,
because, well, the little combine was just plain different and it ran
differently than the large machines. He liked to read the combine manual, but
found that he did not have a lot of time to read other books, for he was too
busy spending time with the wheat. Besides, they were all written by the same
mechanics who developed the large combine.
The little combine did not move very fast. Sometimes when it was harvesting
wheat, it would get plugged up and it would have a hard time letting new wheat
in. When this happened the mechanic would have to stop and make adjustments and
soon it would be moving again. But for all its difficulties in getting wheat
into the combine, very little of it went out the back. Instead, the wheat would
grow to full maturity and bring forth other fruit, for that is what the small
combine did best. It was not the fastest at cutting wheat, but it did an
excellent job in caring for the wheat once it was in the combine.
The small combine was not a place of rest for the wheat. Instead, it just put
the wheat to work, helping to keep things going and helping it harvest more
wheat, for in the small combine, everyone had to work if the combine was to keep
going.
Sometimes the little combine would have problems and many thought that it would
finally stop working. Some said that the little combine was old fashioned and
not modern enough, that it was too much stuck in the past. Whenever changes
where needed and new innovations added, it was at times very difficult and took
a great deal of work. But somehow, with the help of the mechanic and some
careful instructions from the manufacturer, the little combine would chug
along.
The one thing that the little combine had going for it was the fact all the
wheat was personally known by the mechanic. Because there was not a big tank
full of wheat, each kernel knew every other kernel and each one felt an
important part of the combine. They helped one another and each received special
attention from the combine. When one of the kernels became shrived because of
drought, the little combine would carefully nurse it back to health so that it
became full and plump again. The small combine was more than just a combine was;
it was a community where wheat belonged, where each individual wheat was
important and cared for. The wheat enjoyed being together, especially because it
enabled them to learn and grow from the different ages. The young learned to
value the wisdom of the old wheat and the old enjoyed the enthusiasm of the
young.
The little combine gathered all the wheat together to celebrate the one that
designed it, they would sing many of the old songs of the wheat. They sang songs
like "The Combine's One Foundation" and "Wheat, We have met to Worship," not
because they necessarily liked these songs better than the new choruses, but
because these were the songs the wheat who went before them sang. When they sang
these songs, they remembered these seeds and celebrated the many harvests that
came before them. In all this the little combine learned that the harvest is not
about the combine, but about the wheat. It is not just a matter of getting wheat
into the combine but helping the wheat to grow and mature so that it would yield
forth more wheat. The mechanic also learned that to be a mechanic one must not
just love the combine, but he must love the wheat and be with the wheat.
As time went on, the autumn winds began the blow and the wheat turn from a deep
green to a golden brown. Harvest time had come and the fields were ripe unto
harvest. As the summer days grew short, the wheat grew more and more ripe,
remaining in field, waiting for someone to come to it.
The big combine began to harvest wheat. With all its mechanics and well-adjusted
parts, it harvested wheat effectively and efficiently. But there were many
places the combine, because of its size, could not go. There were little fields
up narrow roads where the big combine could not get. The distances were too
great and the fields much too small. Even in the big fields, there were areas
where the large combine would miss. Because of its size, it would miss wheat in
ditches and draws because the header could not get low enough to harvest.
The little combine, on the other hand, went into these fields and began to
harvest wheat. It went slow and sometimes it would even stop to make repairs or
fix problems that arose. It clanked and clamored along, needing continual
prodding from the mechanic, who at times despaired of the little machine. It was
not the most efficient and it did not always go smoothly, but still it
harvested wheat. As the days grew cold and the wheat continued to ripen, the
little combine plodded along, harvesting wheat and developing wheat to maturity.
It went up the narrow rocky roads where the large combine could not go and
harvested the small fields of wheat. It went in the ditches and draws, where its
small header could reach the shorter stocks of wheat. Although the fields were
small and the stocks short, the wheat was of the highest quality, with nice big
kernels. Because of the quality of the wheat in these little places, the maker
of combines would use the seeds from these small fields to plant the next crop
in the big fields.
And so the little combine learned, it is now how big you are or how grand you
appear or how many wonderful programs you have that counts. Rather it is your
participation in the harvest and the fact that you have done what the maker has
designed you to do. It also learned that the size of the combine does not
determine the quality of wheat. Even the smallest of combines can harvest some
of the most productive and fruitful wheat.
It realized that the greatest work it could do was to be what the maker ordained
for it to be so that when people saw the combine the saw the one who made it.
The little combine, while not the biggest, nor even the best, did do one thing;
it helped harvest the wheat and thus it did what the maker designed it to do.
"Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your
eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. The harvest is plentiful
but the combines are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out
combines into his harvest field." (John 4:35; Matthew 9:37-38).
|
Mikros A
NEWSLETTER WRITTEN FOR SMALL CHURCH LEADERS |
This site was last updated on
Thursday May 04, 2006
Thank you for taking the time to visit
our website. If you have any questions or suggestions,
please feel
free to contact me at
PJ@smallChurch.com