Born a farmer’s daughter, my favorite place to be is anywhere outdoors soaking up the sunshine and sucking in fresh oxygenated air. Do you love the outdoors? Can you relate or would you much rather be indoors only looking out the window?
Working outside and caring for creation is all I have ever known. I enjoy doing the daily chores of caring for animals and plants gifted by God. This has been a strong passion for me since I was young.
My perception of God and nature is different from that of someone that has always lived in a town or a big city. How does creation affect you? Do you love listening to songs the birds sing or smelling all the colorful types of flowers?
A farming livelihood depends on the right amount of rain, sunshine, and weather. Creation is and has always been such a huge part of my life. We depend on nature, growing plants and animals to provide food for people and livestock.
My story of faith began when I was in junior high, on a random day while feeding cows in the pasture. Grandma asked me a question that would totally change my perspective of where God is. Eventually, the new perception originated in my story of faith. I have never viewed God, creation, or life the same way again.
While traveling out to the feed bunks, grandma placed her hand on my arm to get my attention. Drawing me into her thoughts, Grandma asked, “What do you think is God’s favorite color?” I turned to face her as my blue eyes met Grandma’s green. I quickly followed her gaze with my eyes as she looked out across the pasture. Returning my gaze again to look at Grandma, she whispered with a sly little grin, “must be blue and green”. I could totally understand where she was coming from. Everything my eyes could see was magnificent shades of blue or green.
My mind raced wildly thinking, is God actually someone who would have a favorite color? Does the little old grouchy dude even care about colors? Such a profound thought like God was essentially a person, an individual with a personality? Never had I considered God like that. I had always kept God in a box.
How do you see God? Do you think he has a favorite color? What do you think His favorite color is?
Over the next few years, Grandma taught me to see God’s presence in everything He created. God is in the sunrise each new day, the water I drink and use to shower, the sweet smell of lavender lilacs, the warm wind on my face, and the songbirds singing in the trees perched overhead.
God is the ultimate farmer. He created everything from the beginning, out of nothing, and continues to maintain his creation 24/7. The glory of his presence is beside you every day. Where did you see God today?
When I was young, I loved to ride around with my dad in the old pickup checking fields and cows. We would drive turtle speed down the middle of the dusty Kansas roads. With the window rolled down and his left arm hanging off the truck door, he was in his element. Sharing words of wisdom that old farmers glean from living life. One of his favorite things to say at the end of every story was, “Live and learn Deb, live and learn.”
Fast forward to a few years ago when I brought my friend home I was dating, to meet my parents. I knew dad would read him like a book. Do you have any family members that can read people? They can totally dissect the relationships you have with your friends in like two minutes.
Later that day, dad pulled me aside to advise me of his assessment. “Deb, if you are ever going to see this guy, you are going to have to keep up. You will need to be sitting beside him in the pickup, tractor, semi, or whatever he is driving. If you are going to have any kind of marriage with this farmer, you are going to have to go wherever he goes.”
As always, dad was spot on. His advice was some of the clearest words of wisdom I have ever received. So, what advice have you received that was spot on? Who gave you the words of wisdom?
I follow Dad’s advice and ride around with my farmer husband as much as I can. No two days are ever the same. Most days the plan I had for my day is nothing close to the events that occur. I am fortunate to experience new things on a regular basis.
Do you still follow the wonderful advice that was given to you? Do you share it with anyone else?
Oh, the stories I could tell, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I am blessed with the lifelong gift of riding beside my farmers.