Coming Full Circle

Well time has flown by this summer.  It has been a very busy and blessed few months since my last post here and much has transpired and developed since then.  We have had some set backs, encouragements, discouragements, unexpected blessings, and some new determination in the weeks that have passed.

A lot of thoughts and ideas have been brewing as well....

A farmer....that's what I wanted to be....I thought.  I wanted to see my family working beside me in the fields, see my son learning to be a man doing real work, see my daughters (future tense, hopefully) becoming wonderful women of God learning how to run a household from their mother, and be the most hospitable family this side of the Mason Dixon line. :)  However, my shortsighted doubtful self has a hard time staying focused on those things sometimes.

Is being a farmer really God's plan for my life?  It will take years to get to where I want to be and I don't have enough to do anything now.  Wouldn't God want me to do something that I could accomplish now and not have to take half of my life to work towards? 

These thoughts have been running through my mind and frankly, they have kept me so preoccupied, along with discussing them with my wife, that is has kept me from writing any posts for the past few months.

We have taken several trips this summer and one of them was to the Vision Forum Reformation of Food and The Family Conference.  We had a wonderful time.  The speakers and vendors were excellent but I must admit that these thoughts were running weighing on my mind heavily at the time and it probably deterred me from making all of the conference that I could.

What is God's plan?  How do we know what he would have us do when there seem to be so many options as to what path you can take.

I have also recovered a long lost interest that I have somewhat had in the past which is videography/cinematography. 

Does God want me to make documentaries that will bring glory to Him?  Should I advance the cause of Biblical food awareness through being a producer of God glorifying food or through showing His wisdom through film?  Does he want me to be a part of on of the most fundamental reconstruction works of our time which is reforming how the people of God and the country think about food and their relationship to it and the world?

 Questions, questions.  In the midst of asking these questions I realized that there was a common factor in all of them that was really why I didn't think I could decide on any of them, that factor was discontentment.  I was not content to wait on the Lord's timing for my businesses.  In my finite mind, if I can't do it now, then God must want me to do something else; when the truth of the matter is that He is trying to teach me to trust in Him and be faithful with what I have.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  Matthew 6:33

This verse has come to mind many times in the past few weeks and I believe it has a new hold in my life.  Whether I'm a farmer, cinematographer, or insurance adjuster (which has been my full time occupation for a while now), I have to seek to do it for the purpose of building the kingdom of God, not for myself.   It's not about doing whichever job will bring me what I want the fastest, it's about HIM.   

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."  1Corinthians 10:31

It wasn't that I didn't know these things, or that I have just discovered them; but in my hustle and bustle trying to get the right start, and figure out what I needed to do before I get any older, I think I lost sight of them and they weren't my staying power in making my decisions.  I am ever grateful to our heavenly father who brings us back to His word by His grace and forgives us (ME) in our shortcomings towards him.  

So.....this still didn't solve the problem of WHAT to do.  But it did get my attitude back to where it needed to be in making the decision. 

One thing that helped me in deciding what to do was reading Noah Sander's book Born Again Dirt
(buy the book, it's worth it). I had spoke with him about it before and his thoughts were very helpful in that he talks about not getting in the mindset of "just being a farmer" only.  Farming may be what you want to do but if you can't do it right now, then do whatever God has given you now, and farming on the side.

It was in doing what God has given me now that I realized that what I want to be IS A FARMER!  I am very thankful for the occupation that God has given me as a property insurance adjuster, but I have realized that I do not want to spend my years sitting behind a computer looking at a screen. I believe that God has put in me the desire to be a husbandman of His creation and that He would not have given me that desire if He had not wanted me to pursue it.  Does he use different occupations to mold my character to be more Christ-like before He gives me my hearts desire in an occupation?  Yes, but that doesn't mean that I do not still strive for the ultimate goal of being a Christian farmer.

And cinematography, use it to promote farming!  I have learned that in a family economy God gifts each person with different strengths and talents that they can channel to promote and help the family business.  Just because they have an interest that is "different" from what the family business is doesn't mean that they have to strike out on their own and pursue that one thing.  That may be appropriate at some time but they should use that interest to help promote the family business as long as they are a part of that family.  SO....if God gives me different interests besides farming that I want to pursue, why not use them to promote the business that I believe He has called me to. 

So in short, my family and I have a much stronger determination than ever to be Christ-honoring farmers after these few months of questioning.  I believe my wife and I have grown closer and we are getting a better plan for the future as a result.  Isn't God wonderful.  What I thought was a season of trouble and anxiety, was actually a tool he was using for growth and shaping us more after Himself.  Praise HIM!

In all of these questions and thoughts my wonderful wife has been nothing but encouraging through these past few months of me wrestling with what God's plan for our lives is and I am ever so grateful to my creator for giving me a help-meet that fits me so well.
 

So, we are back on track and headed for a farming future.  Or farm is a little downsized right now with only a milk cow, calf, and garden due to how busy my adjusting job has been, but I hope to have some posts even about these things and what we are learning with them in the near future.

 
We are having a problem with flies on Truly (the milk cow) right now and are experimenting with some garlic/vinegar sprays to keep them off.  I'll let you know how it goes, seems to be working so far.   :)


In conclusion,
It feels good to be back,

Signed,
The Farmer