God Is Always Teaching Us
Have you ever felt like life has taken you in a direction you least expected? If so, these words are for you.
I have never been eager to be taught. Now in the seventh decade of my life, I look forward to the many things God so graciously continues to teach me. I was blessed to be a late-in-life surprise baby to two amazing people who were still learning to follow Jesus.
They were examples, teachers, and encouragers in my own life and the lives of others. They both came from simple beginnings and instilled in me a basic understanding of the value delivered through the hard work of growing one's own food and the frugality of making do.
I spent many years of my young adult life as a country mom, caring for the land and encouraging my kids to learn how to care for animals. What I learned was that Mom gets to take care of the animals more than she bargained for. Farming, per se, wasn’t foreign to me, but I wouldn’t have called myself a farmer.
I would not tell you that my life dream was to live with my adult children on a noisy, smelly but beautiful farm that is bursting with life, taking care of a milk-eggs and (many other) goods store 6 days a week.
2019 Changed Everything
As it turned out, my daughter and her husband really wanted a farm, and my youngest son with Down syndrome had a lot of capacity when it came to land work and animal care. We talked about someday sharing a farm, and looked for what seemed like a long time. That is, until we stumbled upon a 1800s small dairy farm that had not been in operation for over 40 years. There were stipulations that the land couldn’t be developed, which made it affordable if we wanted to do the work.
When we bought this abandoned farm, it was 2019 and pre-COVID. God clearly gave His blessing. In fact, the day after we put in an offer, I was reading Deuteronomy 15:4, which says, “the Lord is certain to bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance.” Within the hour, the realtor called to tell us our offer was accepted!
The next few months, we all had lots to learn. Fixing up an old farm is no small matter. In addition to the plumbing and electric installation in the house, barn, and fields, the area needed to be made ready. I didn’t know any of this, but found myself interested in learning. We had 32 acres, which included a creek, and everything was planted in corn.
If we were going to grow hay to feed the animals and straw for bedding, the land needed work. I was so grateful that my son-in-law had been mentored by many farmers and knew how to operate all the equipment, so off we went. My daughter was active in agriculture and actually taught kids in 4-H programs. Fences had to be built to contain animals, and we had a couple of cows, some goats, chickens, and ducks. Housing for the animals needed to be in place.
What God Is Teaching Me
Fast forward five years, after retiring as a nurse, I find myself facing customers six days a week. Oh, the lessons God continues to teach me. I meet and interact with all kinds of people with all kinds of questions and ideas. I have needed to learn a lot more patience and grace, and I often say, ”I didn’t learn that in nursing school,” appreciating the fact that I can still learn lots of things.
As I write this, my daughter is milking fifteen cows, which comes out to about 100 gallons a day. This means that after I wrap up, I must decide whether to jug and sell this milk raw, pasteurize and add flavor, or send it to the cheese or ice cream maker. So many decisions like these, but God is certainly increasing my curiosity and helping me be a trusted resource for others.
He’s also teaching me to be a better listener, to be sure I have His armor on before I start the day. I am learning to ask questions instead of giving advice. I am learning and relearning the importance of being heard and cared for by humans. And I’m learning that praying for or with a customer makes a huge difference for both of us.
God is teaching me that He still has so much to teach me. He nudges me and says, “Keep your eyes open. I am at work here.” He is a patient teacher when it comes to trust. He keeps his promises, and He is always faithful.
After hours, as I sit on the front porch, listening to the creek, the birdsongs, taking in the sights and sounds of the farm, I am amazed that a creator of the universe cares for me, loves me, and has invited me into his family. He is teaching me to be thankful for so much and for the people and blessings in my life.
I pray each day that God will open my eyes to see Him at work, to see His image in the form of the folks that come to my little store. I am constantly learning how to better rely on Him and not myself. It’s just so much better that way.
Whatever chapter you are in, rest assured that God has plenty to teach you, so embrace the challenge and be a willing student!
