I KNEW MY FATHER WAS PLEASED
It reminds me of a story that Jonathan Goforth (1859-1936) the great Canadian missionary in China, used to tell.
Jonathan’s father put him in charge of one of the family farms at the age of 15. He drew special attention to one very large field, which had become choked with weeds.
His father told Jonathan, "Get that field clear and ready for planting. At harvest time, I’ll return and inspect it."
Jonathan put a lot of time in ploughing and reploughing, sunning the deadly roots and ploughing again until the whole field was ready for seeding. He then went and procured the best seed for sowing. When all was finished, Jonathan invited his father over to inspect the field.
When his father arrived, Jonathan led him to a high spot from which the whole field of beautiful waving corn could be seen. Jonathan didn’t say a word – he only waited for the coveted " Well Done".
His father stood for several minutes silently examining the field for any sign of weeds, but there were none. Turning to his son, he just smiled.
"That smile was all the reward I wanted," Goforth used to say "I knew my father was pleased. So it will be if we are faithful to the trust our heavenly father gives us."