As I said yesterday, I love my life. I love that we can raise our children to see the hard work that goes into sustaining our family. I love that we can work and sweat together on the farm to make dreams into reality. I love that we can experience the busy seasons and the less busy seasons together. I love the feeling of satisfaction when a season is over and we begin to see the fruit of our labor.
But there is one thing about farming that I have a hard time loving. It's the fact that our whole livelihood appears to depend on one thing. The weather.
This may seem, to most people, like a weather forecast. But to a farmer it is so much more! It is often an indicator of how we need to do things on the farm.
Let's take seeding for example. If we are seeding and it is dry we may plant the seeds deeper so that they reach the moisture. But if there is rain in the forecast we may plant the seeds shallower. But if there are thunderstorms and hot weather in the forecast we may not want to plant too shallow or the seeds might wash away. But if it rains hard and the sun bakes down, that will make the ground crust and that may change things again.
Then there is the dilema of planting seeds that are sensitive to frost. When will the last frost be. Should we plant or should we wait? For if we get a late frost it could mean we have to reseed.
And then comes harvest. What if there is rain in the forecast? Do we combine so the quality of the grain is still high or do we sleep and hope the rain holds off. If it's getting later in the season do we harvest the grain, even if it is a little wet?
And the questions just go on and on. Often I think of all the decisions the guys have to make on the farm and I have a whole new respect for them. This is not easy folks!!
I've often wondered what life would be like if we didn't farm. Like, would I ever look at the weather forecast?? Or would I look at it only when I wanted to have a barbecue or go to the beach. Or would I just poke my head outside to see what the weather was like? Maybe. What would it be like to be able to really enjoy the sound of thunder without having to be concerned about damage to the crops.
But even though there is so much humanness, and so many decisions to be made that we really don't know what the outcome will be, God is in control! And our livelihood doesn't just depend on the weather. No matter what the weather, He's got this! And so we don't have to worry, we don't have to fret, cause He's got us in His hands! And because of this we can rest, even while looking at the forecast!
So on days like today we trust. When the wind is blowing and drying out the land. When there is rain in the forecast. When there are severe thunderstorm watches. We trust. We trust that God knows what He is doing!
And so there's another reason I am so thankful for this farming journey. Through the years I have learned a deeper level of trust and reliance on God. And even though things seem hopeless to my human eyes, I trust.
Because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, He's got this, He's got us!
Now excuse me while I go check on the weather forecast 😊
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