Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 3

This morning I got to the Pilers before they opened. It was still dark outside. I somehow managed to be third in line.

Now at a beet dump there is a scalehouse with a scale on each side of it. You drive your truck onto the first one, they weigh your truck, give you a ticket to hand to the guys at the piler after you've driven up onto it, you dump your beets, drive off the piler and back up to get your tier dirt (beet tops, dirt, beet leaves) and finally you drive onto the second scale on your way out to get your final weight. Truck weight #1 - Truck weight #2 = Total tons of beets. They then print and give you a slip that documents the load.

Now anyways, it's DARK outside, the yard lights are on, and it's kind of early yet. The first guy in line is raring to go and as soon as the light outside the scalehouse goes from red to green he takes off for the scale. He's all lined up, centered perfectly on the scale, lines up with the ticket window, but there's one problem....he went to the wrong scale. He entered on the exit side. So we had to all back up so he could make his way to the other side. Thinks worked like clockwork after that, though, we've still got about 11 more hours to work today :)

Today I'm listening to Rosenbladts "The Gospel for those broken by the Church." One of the things that he brought up that I resonate with is that the Sunday school curriculum that is used can be a part of the eventual broken, wearing out of believers. Sunday school lessons that are designed to teach a moral of how to live each week can establish the idea that if you just follow these examples then you can live the so called "victorious Christian life."

After awhile a person will take a steep nosedive as they realize that they can't attain perfection, conquering their sins. They start to realize that no matter how hard they try, no matter how much they pray, read the Bible, are a part of Church committees, volunteer, etc., nothing can stop the onslaught of sinful failure. They're told "just try harder" "spend more time in the word" "pray more", which accomplishes nothing more than heaping more law on an already broken person. Enough law on a broken person leads to dispair.

What they need is not yet one more burdening helping of "just try harder" or "10 steps to conquering sin" style sermons or advice. What they need is the Gospel. "The blood of Christ covered even this." He conquered sin for us, endured the cross for us, lived life victoriously for us. What Christ did was sufficient. He did this for you broken Christian. And what Christ did is enough.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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