Gradversity

Thanksgiving Day originated as a harvest festival. It was an expression of gratitude especially to God for provision and safety in spite of adversity. Thanksgiving has been observed in our country for the last 300 years.

This picture is 4 weeks old but tells the story of the kind of fall we experienced. There is so much to be grateful for this year in spite of an extraordinary year involving an early dry summer, storms and tornados in July, high winds and hail in September, weak corn stalks and damaged soybeans, 23 inches of rain during harvest, and 3 measurable snow events in November.

As we were wrapping up harvest east of Blakesburg earlier last week a gentleman stopped by and asked if we would sell him corn so Alex loaded up his wagon.

In spite of past, present, and possibly future hurdles I'm grateful for our 2018 crop. The adversity of mud, down corn, damaged beans, extra breakdowns, and now snow caused everyone to step up and tackle life without a sour word. There was no "Is it my turn or what about me". So often folks went the extra effort to help each other. I'm thankful for the privilege of working with friends.

Kudos to Cheryl and Angie, music teachers at Osky Christian, who not only taught kids to learn their songs and sing but to love doing it. It was a great program Friday evening. We have grandkids in just about every class. I'm grateful for a school where kids are not just allowed but encouraged to learn and sing about their God.

Our former pastor Dale experienced first hand the fires in California. He helped evacuate 30 patients in wheel chairs with the bus he drives. He worked 27 hours straight. He had to evacuate his work place. Later because of a different fire he had to evacuate his home for a short time. His son Jeremy knew of one of the victims from the shooting earlier in a neighboring community. In spite of adversity Pastor Dale is grateful for he and his families safety and was asking how we all are.

Obviously there is a lot of equipment to clean up after a muddy fall. Since this truck had an appointment in Des Moines I stopped at Blue Beacon one night and had the guys help clean this one up. 

I'm grateful much of our crop is sold so we have continued to deliver crop to market.

This past week we lost our electricity for a half a day. A dump truck forgot to lower his box after unloading a load of rock at a bridge project near BJ and Cassia's house. When he caught the electric wires he took down 5 poles.

 One of the in demand jobs folks are wanting us to help them with is to tanker hog honey from the pump at the shed to the honey wagon in the field. Everyone is trying to figure out how to get the hog pits emptied under adverse conditions.

A big thank you to Mike who has been helping with fall tillage while he waits for tiling projects get finished so he can build terraces.

Alex has taken the major responsibility of getting custom anhydrous applied for next years crop. Thanks to Jarod and Chris who finally figured out the problem with the NH3 bar.

Adversity in anyone's life makes one reflect back. I'm grateful for our landlords, the folks we custom farm for, our bankers, our crop input suppliers, our equipment folks, our marketing outlet folks. Because of these relationships and even sometimes adversity, all these folks have become friends which is more important than the crop itself. 

I'm grateful for work. I'm grateful for abilities. I'm grateful for opportunities to help others get their work done or help them plan for next year.

Jan and I were talking about what our real purposes are while we're here on earth. One of those purposes is to be grateful. Yes, grateful for what happens in our own lives. And yes, grateful to God who loves and takes care of us. Have you ever thought of being sincerely and genuinely grateful for the good things that happens to others?

This morning as I'm late posting I have the opportunity to get a picture of 3 inches of snow and 10 degrees this Sunday morning. Not what we had hoped for before Thanksgiving. Yes, there will be challenges finishing off our fall season. However, just like the pilgrims 300 years ago, lets celebrate Thanksgiving this coming week having gratitude in our hearts for all the blessings we take for granted. Have a good week.