Northern Farmer

I wrote this post on the Healing Waters blog and decided to put it on here also.

As the days go by the harvest is coming closer to being completed. In a few days I think we’ll be starting the main chop of corn silage. Its drying down much faster than I had planned. There hasn’t really been any rain to amount to anything for a month around here and the dry down of the corn is starting to show it. The pastures are basically burned down with little or no grass and we have to feed the cattle in all four pastures seven days a week. The creek is going dry in one pasture where I pump water out of and the cattle from that one might have to come home this week. But even with that all said its really a good year here so far. The corn made the maximum height and if all goes well the silage pit will be filled this fall as it has never been filled before. Plus I think its just possible to make another pile near the feedlot across the county road just to have some feed out there for some of the cows I’d like to put out that way in a few weeks. Kinda get em good and fat for winter. Something we haven’t been able to do for a few years. I put my notice in at church today that I might miss a couple of weeks of teaching Children’s Church and there’s no problem with that at all. The folks there know and understand that the harvest must come in, just like the Good Book says and have given their blessing on the whole matter.

This sure has been a year of new beginnings around here in many more ways than one. From sad times to good times there’s been a fair share of both. But through it all we have to just keep our eyes focused on our King! The farm is producing again and there’s much more harvest work than the last few years. But that also means there’ll be allot less worries and stress trying to find feed during the winter. Something very difficult to do in a region wide drought. There’s been new beginnings at church, things I wouldn’t have dared to even dream a year ago. After surviving the first ever for me full service preaching a calm has come knowing that this major hurdle has been jumped, and jumped well from what they tell me. I have no idea when that will happen again, but first things first, time for the farm harvest to get put under the belt.

Today after church we had us a fish fry, some fried potatoes and some sweet corn. In Midwestern tradition everyone brought a dish or two of their really good foods from home and the only thing that makes me sad is that I wasn’t able to try em all out, there was so much. And when it was all said and done this afternoon we came home and finished up chores for the day and chopped tomorrow’s silage for feeding. All is done, all is well. And a surprising thing happened this weekend. I mean it really surprised me! I found out that the organization that gives covering to our little country church thinks my idea’s for ministry are good. I was nervous about that, very nervous, but nothing would have changed my mind in doing what I believe is my calling. But the fact that it sounds supportive really calms me down in my heart.

So I’m thinking tonight, dwelling on where we will go from here, how this will fit in with our lifestyle on the farm. The good thing is I can’t see one thing that would ever hamper our life here farming, not one thing. This will work and should work well. But instead of being an answer to many of my questions its opening up more and more doors that I never dreamed possible, or had ever thought about. Sitting under an ancient basswood tree today I talked with a brother in the faith and he told me about his vision of ministry that was working at his heart. After coming home and thinking about it while chopping silage I’m convinced that his vision is for real and would “fit” with mine. Later at the fish fry a pastor offered to help me in the future start a ministry, a legal one, and again once I came home and got to think about it, it fit! Funny how God works.

These writings on the internet the last few years also have taught me allot. Its for real and the folks that read it are for real. When someone has joy, I feel the joy. When someone has deep sadness I again feel the sadness. It can be a burden many times, but a burden well worth it.The real fact is, the people are real and so are the joys and heartaches. Right now there’s a heartache that has me crying out to God these last couple of days. I don’t know if I should do this, but I will anyhow. Folks, anyone that has ever read comments on this humble little rural blog knows Brad who comments most every morning here with me and a couple other folks. In fact I figure he writes about half of the words in the comments section of this blog. He’s been around for a few years, first starting on my Northern Farmer blog and then finding a welcome home here. Brad e-mailed me yesterday, Saturday, that his wife whom I know he loved very, very much passed away from a traffic accident this past Friday. I was totally floored when I opened that e-mail and my heart is just crying out to God for them folks. This has shown me that the folks that come around here are real and are my friends, even the invisible ones that pass by here daily. And I’m asking all who come by this little blog to remember Brad and his boys in this very hard time. He’s my friend, a very good friend and I know allot of folks feel that way too from reading his daily comments here. I regret having to be so far from them at this time, but our prayers are reaching the Throne in their behalf!

We serve such a wonderful God! And in these times its a privilege to come to Him in behalf of a friend. To tell the truth it hit me so hard I am wondering about blogging, but I know the answer even as I wonder. In my own simple country way we’ll keep on going because I know that it touches folks and I know it glorifies our Lord. To serve the Lord in anyway we can is an awesome privilege and it will continue no matter what. It might be very quiet around here for a while and that’s OK. I’ll write from time to time as always and welcome any and all to comment. I pray for Brad and his family and will continue to pray.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 at 7:47 pm and is filed under Northern Farmer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.