Last Sunday evening Jan and I attended the Lower Grove Bible School program where Becky and Brian's kids attended. Bonnie and crew always do a good job. Any time you're working with a large group of kids it takes strength and energy to be firm and organized. It also takes courage and caring to be gentle to accomplish the mission.
Back in the old days livestock feed came in cloth bags with colorful printed material. Mom's would then take those used feed bags and sew clothes for their kids. Rosie, a friend and widow, had taken her childhood dresses made of these colorful feed bags and embroidered them into a pattern. Jan quilted twelve of these patterns into a pretty quilt. I think it would have taken strength and courage to farm and raise a family back then.
Actually it takes strength and courage to farm and raise a family today as well. Today is Father's Day. I'm blessed to still have my father. I'm blessed to be a father. And I'm blessed to watch my son's and son-in-law all be fathers.
The guys spend a good part of June mowing, raking, and baling field waterways for grass hay. Haying waterways provides cattle feed and keeps the field looking nice and free from weeds.
BJ built an attachment for a skid loader that carries two bales. It takes a little courage because you can't see the bumps coming. It also takes a strong skid loader.
Early planted corn on good dirt grew 24 inches last week. Most of the crop looks good and has great potential. Rains were scattered this past week with some fields getting a drink and others still waiting.
The farms that are still waiting on water with lighter soils look like this in the afternoons. This farm has had 4 tenths in 4 weeks. I read in a poem recently that it takes strength to conquer. It takes courage to surrender. Since we are not in charge of the weather our mission is to rely on the One who is.
Early Thursday morning Kurt left for southwest Colorado to help a friend work cattle for a couple of weeks. They will be rounding up the herd with horses. Then vaccinating, castrating, and branding the calves.
Our church went on a mission trip to Des Moines this week. My job was to help Jan feed the crew while we were there. One of my jobs was to keep ice and water stocked.
We helped Joshua Christian Academy remodel and clean. It's an inner city Christian school in east Des Moines.
Our crew tore out and rebuilt walls, poured cement, repaired drains, trimmed trees, cleaned and painted rooms, sprayed roundup, cleaned the outside yard and garden, worked on the parking lot, and many other things.
The first day dust caused the fire alarms to go off and we had a visit from the fire department.
Our mission wasn't just to work. We also wanted to make friends and build relationships and we did. My hat's off to Chris and staff who had the strength and courage to make this school happen. Also a huge thank you to those who helped with our mission this week. Your servant heart was evident. A week like this doesn't just happen on it's own. Kudos to Sharon, Jill, and Anne and families for all the planning.
I've told you this before. Many times on Mother's Day we thank Mom's for everything they do and they deserve those thank yous. Sometimes on Father's Day we hear about everything Father's ought to do and sometimes that's relevant. However I'd like to let you know that I work with and know many Fathers who have made it their mission to have the strength and courage to be the Dad God has called them to be. Late yesterday afternoon Jan and I went to watch the PC shooting team shoot with their Dads by Knoxville.
Jan has spent many hours watering this month and it shows. Once in a while we grieve when we hear of a marriage not surviving. Being married takes strength and courage as well. On this Father's Day I would encourage Fathers to be a good example to their kids by loving their mother. That same poem I quoted earlier said it takes strength to love. It takes courage to be loved.
Two good things about warm, dry summer days are the beautiful early mornings and late evenings. I look and experience them as a promise that we are loved and taken care of by a Heavenly Father. A paraphrase of James 7 says that a farmer waits patiently for his crops to grow; he can't hurry the process. But he does not take the summer off and hopes that all goes well in the fields. There is much work to do to ensure a good harvest. Corn and soybeans are temporary. Souls are eternal. Make it your mission to work hard before harvest.
No comments:
Post a Comment