Lessons From The Farm – Legacy Not Lost

 

This week a season in our families life is coming to end. The family farm is selling out and will not longer be an operating dairy farm. It has been a difficult past few weeks to walk through as we all let go of what this farm has been for such a long time. There have been many tears and difficult conversations, especially as we try to explain to little ones who have such a hard time understanding. 

This farm has taught me so many things about life. It has taught my family things that cannot be learned elsewhere. The lessons are priceless.

 

Farming is not just a job. Farming is a way of life. It creates a family who works together through whatever comes their way. The legacy that this farm has created is astounding.

Farming creates a love for the Lord through pointing to Him every single day. A farmer sows his seeds in faith that God will provide whats necessary to grow the harvest. A farmer relies on God to get him through difficult times and hard days, as well rejoices with his Savior during times of joy and celebration. A farmer is faithful to his work without fail. He gets up every morning ready for a day of work and dedicates himself until the job is finished. He goes to bed every night tired but proud of his accomplishments, trusting in God for the strength to get through the next day.

Farming also creates a love for those around them. There is a compassion that is fostered during every day activities. They are often putting others first and their animals needs above themselves. A farmer is not a selfish man, and he teaches his children to look out for the needs and feelings of others.

Farms impact generations. As a child watches his parents work hard and pour so much into this lifestyle they cannot help but learn to do the same. The farming lifestyle and those that live it create a work ethic that is sadly missed by most today. There is a pride in what they do and they cultivate that in their children and in generations to come. There is a realization that the hard work they put in every day is all worth it and will benefit so many. Farmers serve others around them so sacrificially using Christ as their example.

Three generations feeding the calves.

Farms change people. Being married to a man that grew up on a farm and having his family so close to us has changed me. It has given me such an appreciation for those that work so hard at an often thankless job. My husband is the man that he is because of the farm he grew up and the parents who raised him there.  I am so grateful to be a part of this family.

 

We have had the privilege for over eight years to raise our children on the farm. They have grown up loving the farm. They look up to their grandparents and their Daddy for all they do. The farm has offered so much for them, experiences that they will surely never forget or grow tired of. Growing up on a farm is an opportunity that I didn’t realize had so much worth until I got to see my kids live it.

Farmers leave a legacy in those around them. They impact their children, their grandchildren, their friends, and really anyone else who is willing to learn from them. Some may view a legacy as wealth or land, material things that can be passed down from generation to generation. I want to challenge this way of thinking. I have seen first hand that a legacy goes way beyond our possessions. Our legacy is not is what we have but in who we have, and how we have impacted them. The legacy of this farm will live forever. This is a family tree changed and impacted by two amazing people that I have the privilege to be so close to. These farmers raised children in such a way that nothing can take away who they are. They are a family who loves the Lord and has farming in their blood. Whether or not the farm operates the same way now that it has for so long doesn’t change who this farm has created and the people that have lived on it all these years. Generations are changed by this family of farmers. This is a legacy worth being proud of. This is a legacy that I am blessed to be part of. Our children will continue this legacy onto their families some day. This farm and the people who have had it so long has changed every single person who has been a part of it not matter how long or short that time was.

 

 

This season of letting go of something that has been such a large part of all of our lives for such a long time has been very difficult. I just keep reminding myself that if God is closing this chapter of the story it is because He has something amazing in the next one. He has always been there through every season and even though they change His love and care remains. His legacy lives through this family. It doesn’t matter what we do or where we go He is always with us. He has given us so much through this farm that has been an immeasurable blessing. This legacy He created through our family will continue. It will bless others. This legacy will change people. This legacy always points back to the Lord.

 

Feeding the little heifers is a task enjoyed by them all, especially at this young age.

Daddy teaching B how to milk a cow for the first time.

A learned how to milk cows over the past few months. He had a favorite cow picked out and really enjoyed milking her anytime he was able to be a the barn with his Dad.

 

Grandma passing her love and care for the cows to L as they look in on a brand new baby calf.

 

Lessons From The Farm – New Growth

This last weekend my husband and I celebrated nine years of marriage. We were able to get a weekend without our children. Spending uninterrupted time together is not something we get often nor do we take for granted. We chose to spend the day at home on Sunday. We did “church” together on the living room couch. It was a refreshing time together that we desperately needed after the hectic schedules we have had over this past winter. In the afternoon we went for a walk on the farm property. It was one of those beautiful spring days where the weather is just starting to show what is to come with its warmth and sunshine. That time outside is where the idea for this blog post came from. 

Something my husband enjoys doing this time of year is looking for deer antler sheds. As we were walking through the woods my mind started to wander to the lessons that could be learned from a deer shedding its antlers. Far fetched? Maybe. But it meant something to me and I wanted to share it with you. 

Each year the male deer must shed it’s antlers for it to be able to grow a new pair  in the fall. There may be a struggle as that deer works to remove the old set of antlers. Maybe he has to push or use friction up against something. After all that hard work there is still no instant gratification. That deer now has to wait months to see the fruit of his work. He won’t begin to grow new antlers right away. The time will come, but there is a season of waiting.

How well can this parallel situations in our own lives? How often do we have to “shed” something old to make room and prepare for something new? The shedding process may be painful. We may not even understand it at all. There is probably an element of trust. Will new things come? Will they be better than what we have now? What if it would just be better to stay right where we are, where we are comfortable?

We have to trust the Creator of it all that He has our best interest in mind. He knows what is to come and He loves us enough to prepare us for new things.

I can think back over times in my life that I can now see as times of “shedding”. Times when I had to let go to make room for something new. In the thick of it those times were painful. They brought a lot of difficult days. At some points I wanted so badly to give up. On the other side I am so grateful I didn’t give up. I am proud of myself for putting my trust in God and leaning on Him when it felt like I couldn’t take another step. Did I do it right every time? Nope, not even close. Did I come out stronger because of it? Absolutely!

Letting go is rarely easy. Taking a step out into the unknown, trusting that good things are coming, is scary. Then there comes the waiting. If you are anything like me this is probably the hardest part. After the initial terror of stepping out I will start to get excited about the change. I enjoy new things. I look forward to finding what God has set ahead for me. Then He asks me to wait. That is when I start to doubt. Did I make the right move? What if I went the wrong direction? What if I didn’t really hear from God? What if I got it wrong? What if I was just better off where I was originally? Waiting is uncomfortable. It makes me look back to the place where I was comfortable and maybe even long for that again. But that is gone now. It has been “shed”.  What God had for me in that season is not His best for me now. He will use this time, the waiting, to prepare me for the things He has for me in the next season.

A Couple of sheds that have been found over the years.

What that deer can’t see when he works to shed his antlers is the beauty that is yet to come. In the next season new antlers will grow. They will be larger, more beautiful than what he once had. They will serve him better than the old. What was once the very best for him is no longer best. What is coming is what he needs for this season in his life.

 

This is the beauty of it all. In each season there is exactly what we need. Exactly what God has for us right now, right where we are. If there was only what we once had it wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t be right. We wouldn’t have the correct tools, the wisdom or insight, that we need now. God uses the struggle, the “shedding” and time of waiting, to do the work in us that He needs to do to prepare us for what He has for us in each season. He has always had and always will have out best in mind. His love for us is what motivates Him to do the work in each of us that He does.

Just as the deer cycles through seasons until his life comes to an end we should strive to do the same thing. Am I saying that I want to go through the pain of letting go of what seems good to then have to wait for new things to come? Yes! Because I know now that at the end of each season God has amazing things for me.

As winter now ends and we transition into spring there is much excitement in the change. The weather warms up. Birds begin to come out and sing again. The long, cold winter comes to an end. The new growth of spring becomes more evident with each passing day. It is exciting as we prepare for all that spring brings; flower gardens and fresh grown vegetables, hours and hours spent outside in the warm sunshine. Without the cold winter these things probably wouldn’t seem as fun and exciting. It would be harder to find joy in them because we wouldn’t have had to wait and work for them. The waiting is good. The waiting causes us to turn our eyes to our Creator and find strength in Him. It shifts our focus. If we let it, the waiting gives us a time to prepare ourselves for the new and exciting things coming.

The view for part of our walk. The beauty of the skyline along the trees always amazes me.

 

 

Hello Again

For longer that I would like to admit I have felt challenged to start blogging again. It has been years since I have come on here at all, which really is a shame because I love writing so much. But here I am again. I was tempted to completely clear everything off and start fresh. I went through and read my posts from when I first started this and I actually love most of it. There isn’t much, but  i found it encouraging to read through. I like seeing where I have come from.  So I am going to leave everything the way it is and just pick up where I left off.

I have been feeling the push from the Lord to being writing again. He is showing me that I have things to share. I may not do it the best, but that is OK. I may not say everything correctly all of the time or use perfect grammar. Right now that is not what matters. Being obedient is what matters. So here I am being vulnerable and putting myself out there for you all to see.

I want to invite you to come alongside me as I walk through this life. It might be messy, it might be difficult, but that’s OK. I am learning that through the storms is where I grow the most. In the midst of the mess is where I have the best opportunities to turn to the Lord and see who He is for me. And the thing is, even through all the difficulties there are moments of joy. There are memories that I will cherish for years to come. My hope for this time together is to encourage you and help you find joy in daily life.

Just a little piece of this beautiful place I get to call my home.