No journey is a straight and predictable path. January/2024 will be remembered as the snowiest and coldest event in southern Iowa in 51 years. This past week was spent digging out.
A story with just the facts is as boring as a newspaper. There are many stories behind the storm of long hours of opening up rural roads, finding a way to care for livestock, making up all the extracurricular activities that happen in school, and a community just coming together.
When you add heart in the story, the characters become personal. Thanks for the picture Emily. 4th grader Jackson spent a snow day off school to pile the drifts off their yard so the cows they are taking care of could be fed.
When you involve others in a story, and see things through their vantage point, you create relationships. 20 years ago Karl and Kurt wore the numbers 42 and 52 when they played football. Today their sons, Malaki and Jackson, are wearing their fathers' jersey numbers playing basketball. Thanks for the picture Kristin.
With all the snow and cold outside, shop work was part of the agenda this past week. John, a senior in high school, worked on shining up the aluminum on Karl and Kristin's seed semi.
Ethan worked on replacing wheel seals. Ryan helped replacing the brakes and drums. Most of this work is preventative maintenance, hopefully preventing a breakdown later.
Replacing the no-till coulters, disc openers, scrapers, seed firmers, spacing the depth gauge wheels, and replacing bearings on the closing wheels, is an every two year job on our planters. Ryan and Alex helped Dean get our soybean planter finished. This rig will stay hooked up and ready for April.
It's hard to imagine all the long hours road crews and snow removal businesses spent helping folks get back to a normal winter life. Thanks for the picture Holden. 10th grader, Ezra, and 9th grader, Elijah, got up at 2am many mornings to help Holden scoop sidewalks and driveways in town.
With the roads drifted shut for 3 or 4 days, it was impossible for feed trucks to get loads delivered to the farmers that custom feed livestock these days. Feed mills got 300 to 400 loads behind. And hogs were running out of feed. Farmers were asked to help haul feed to their own buildings with their grain semis. Thanks for the picture Collin.
Ezra and I took a break from pushing snow yesterday to go visit my mother. We wheeled her all around the nursing home, meeting her friends and care takers.
The girls had a bridal shower for Rachel last evening. These are the gals of our family you don't see as often in our Sunday visits. But every bit as important and loved. Cassia, Emily, Kristin, Rachel, Becky, Stacy, and Suzanne. Thanks for the picture.
Jan and I are so blessed. We started life together in the 1970s. Then spent 30 years raising a family. Then we got to and continue to experience and love grandchildren. And now we're starting to watch our grandchildren start families of their own. Thanks for the picture Becky.
Were our lives a straight and predictable path? Not a chance! Sometimes a season of not having or getting what we expect is needed to develop trust. Trust leads to gratitude. Gratitude leads to contentment. Then finally embracing and enjoying the unexpected. No matter what unexpected turns come our way this coming year, 2024 will be full of opportunities and possibilities.
Remember those father/son pictures earlier in our visit? This is Kurt and Jackson catching up with Grandpa. Three generations telling stories about our past week. Psalm 78 says, "Listen, I will tell you stories we have heard and known, handed down to us from our ancestors. We will not hide these truths from our children. We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord". You see folks, passing down testimonies and stories isn't just a suggestion. It's a command. Have a good week. Sounds like more moisture coming our way again.
1 comment:
Steve, for sure these are heart warming stories about your true life experiences. In any event, today I feel like asking you an obvious question? . You said 20 years ago Karl and Kurt wore the numbers 42 and 52 and today their sons, Malaki and Jackson, are wearing their fathers' jersey numbers. Well when one looks at the photos isn't it interesting that to see how each is folding the hands? Is it by design when you took that photo or by instinct? Well done and God bless you all. Men if you are not coming to Lilongwe with Jan for a visit then send Karl, Kurt, Malaki and Jackson.
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