I hope that this spring/winter weather that we are having finds you well! I’m cruddy, as we like to call it! Yes, the farmer is allergic to most things outdoors! LOL! But, I love my job! That makes a big difference! Our parents raised us to do what we love as a career. Much to their surprise, we all ended up farming!
My older brother, Ray, was a diesel mechanic, until he started his own grading business. Our younger brother, Ben, joined Ray in the grading business, until 9/11 happened and the economy went to pot. Now, they and their families are Tyson broiler chicken farmers. Then there was me, the “professional college student”, as Ray and Ben liked to joke! I still use some of my engineering education for farming and my geology knowledge for Mom’s morning crossword puzzles! We all help out Mom and Dad on our family farm, Morning Dew Farms.
Our family farm has evolved over the years (in Daddy’s lifetime) from a dairy, to a row crop and mixed vegetable commercial farm. Our parents have grown mixed vegetables for over 28 years! They are a valuable resource to Jason and I, when considering a crop to grow, brainstorming on how to cut costs/labor, and how to, “work smarter and not harder”, as Dad always said growing up. They also pitch in whenever we need them; even if we don’t always ask. That’s what family does! I have always heard my Mom say, “It takes a community to raise a child”. Some look on this as a negative, but not us! We pass our kids back and forth between our family and sometimes neighbors; just like we were!
The past two months our community has experienced the loss of several of our members. The Friendship community that I grew up in, that we have our farm in, and that hopefully as of May (our house is for sale and under contract!) we will be living to. It’s is a wonderful place to live. You won’t find a community of believers, a community of friends and neighbors, or a community where everyone is related to everyone in some way; in any large city and even in a lot of small towns. This community has shaped me growing up, shown me how to share knowledge, farm implements, time, clothes, food, and money.
A lot of the old timers that helped to shape my morals and beliefs have passed away. They were the patriotic ones that you see displaying their WWII veteran caps, their Armed Forces attire, or none of that; hiding their tattoos of their heroic youth. They were the ones that literally worked their fingers to the bone, for their families, no matter what the job was! They were the ones that had a full-time job and another one on the side to provide for their families. They didn’t take handouts! They may not have the education that the public school system has provided most of America. Some may have even crawled out the window of the school house in 5th grade (after repeating it two times) and never looked back, like my Uncle Kelly. They were self-taught, the first environmentalist, animal activist, and engineers. They didn’t waste anything; even: bread ties, bra clasps and hooks, fabric to patch and mend, rain water to wash your hair and make it soft, any jar with a lid or coffee can; you name it, there was a reuse for it! They grew up in a world that was constantly changing; there were more inventions in their lifetime than our own. They evolved with their world. They didn’t try to make it their own, just do the best they could with what they were entrusted with. They were not entitled, but entrusted! They worked for God’s glory and were proud of it!
That is what we strive to be like and raise our kids like! It is difficult in a world that doesn’t make anything to last, a man/woman’s word doesn’t mean anything, you never know what you are going to hear or see on TV, internet, or in person, and a screen is a way to escape it all. I had to tell our children just today, that if they remember that they are A Child of God and a Douglas that is all that matters! Anyone can say hateful things and fill your head with yuck! But it takes a strong person and God’s help to remember who you are and where you came from. I am proud to be a Child of God and an Icenhour Douglas. I am proud to be from the Friendship community! So, in closing, I would like to ask who are you and where are you from? Can you cling to the Cross of Christ for your identity or do you look for it in the world; on a screen. Please know that God loved you and I so much that He sent His one and only son to die a cruel death on a rugged cross! At that moment, all of our sin was placed on him and he willingly took our punishment for us! He died and we are forgiven! Please cling to that identity today! Remember who you are and where you came from! I was a sinner, lost and damned for an eternal lake of fire! But, now I am a Child of God!
Amen!
Amy Douglas