Ecclesiastes 3:1-2,9,12-13
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time [a]to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time [a]to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
Though I just used verses from here and there in the scripture above, if ever there was a passage for a farmer it is Chapter 3 from Ecclesiastes. It is the passage used at my father-in-law’s (Leo Weil, Jr.) funeral. He was a classic farmer and he understood that there was a time for everything.
This is his son, Daniel Leo Weil, my hubby, in the video above. While Leo was rather talkative at times, Dan is usually always quiet. Dan has made his life working with God’s creatures and caring for God’s land. He is a good steward of that which God has given him and he is teaching our daughter, Stephanie, to be just that as well. It is one of the most important things for a parent farmer to pass on to the next generation farmer. Dan lives by the seasons God created and in Michigan we have 4 definite passages (some enjoyed more than others 
) with Dan understanding, though maybe occasionally grumbling, that each has its purpose.
) with Dan understanding, though maybe occasionally grumbling, that each has its purpose.Dan’s faith is rooted in God’s creation. He works close to the land in what is a beautiful mutual partnership to watch. He is strengthened by his connection to a God he very much believes in.
What I love about the video above is that it shows a part of Dan that is not often seen. To him, tending corn rolling out of a gravity box is an integral part of who he is. Now comes the tale of two spouses. Dan will tell you very practically that he is filling our dryer bin with corn to dry a batch. When the dryer is almost full an alarm will sound and Dan knows that he should let a few more seconds of grain run before he closes the gravity box door to truly fill the bin. That arm moving is his way of counting the seconds. Cut and dry, right?
Here’s my interpretation. I will tell you in watching this video, recently shared with me by Stephanie, that you can see the grace and the rhythm of a farmer in that short clip. He could have simply counted silently and have remained stock still. But Dan with his strong thick fingered farmer hands gracefully conducts the last bits of corn into their place with a spark of spontaneity that does not have to be. It might even contain a bit of joy. These are the parts of my farmer’s life I love to witness. The sometimes inscrutable nature of Dan is made clear to me in these briefest of moments.
I am grateful to Steph for catching this and showing me. It makes my heart sing with joy to see what might merely be a mundane counting of seconds…but….may also be joy Farmer Dan is innately expressing. I will forever believe the latter and give thanks for it. There is a time and season for everything and we just caught Dan celebrating it! I think God saw it and smiled.
Believe what you want about Farmer Dan’s actions – the practical or the one full of possibility, promise and praise! Whichever place you land, in God’s world always watch, celebrate and give thanks!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!
~Shauna Weil
A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC
A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC