Always Drink Upstream from the Herd (And other Farmer Truths)...

 

 

These days, most of us have no first-hand knowledge about farming; maybe a little gardening, but not full-out farming.  I did not grow up on a farm.  My father was pretty clear on the fact that my brother and I would be responsible for the cultivating and weeding of a good-sized garden plot out behind our house, but that does not qualify me as a farmer of any sort.

However, having grown up in Indiana, I have been aware of the farmer-truth that if you want a good yield of corn, it should be “knee-high by the fourth of July.”  You don’t question that kind of knowledge, you just abide by it.

 

Just as you don’t question the wisdom of these farmer-truths, you just abide by them:
-Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong.
- Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
- A bumble bee is faster than a tractor.

 

In a story about farming, Jesus said this, to those who would listen:
“A farmer went out to sow seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.
“…the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold fast no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.”

 

Here’s a truth…to be learned whether one is a farmer or not…from what Jesus said:

-The “Good-Hearts” are the folks you want to be like.  (He didn’t say this, but if he had it wouldn’t be out of character from what we think we know about him: “You don’t question great truths, you just abide by them.”)

The good-hearts are women and men who hold fast to the truth about God… 
…through thick and thin;
…through good times and bad times;
…through prosperity and adversity;
…come rain or shine;
…come hell or high water.
…the good-hearts hold fast to the truth that nothing in all creation can come between them and God’s love for them.

The good-hearts are women and men who keep themselves open to all the times and places where the truth about God may be found.
…who hold fast to what Jesus is offering to each and all of us.
…who hold fast to the truth that our value is more in our “being” than it is in our “doing.”
…who hold fast to the truth that we are absolutely worthy of God’s love.
…who hold fast to the possibility that we may not get everything we want, but life will be alright anyway.
…who hold fast to the truth that love of God and love of neighbor is the basis for any true spiritual discipline.

 

 

Perhaps God comes to us disguised as “our next moment.”

And in that next moment we can choose to be the Good-Hearts, holding fast to the truth about God until the harvest comes in.

 

And here are two more farmer-truths:
- When you wallow with the pigs, expect to get dirty.
- Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

Doorways that Lead to Who Knows Where...

I can still remember the doorway in the house I grew up in..."that" doorway...the one right in front of you as you entered the hallway that led to either the dining room or the living room..."the" doorway that led to the basement!

I did go down into the basement many times...but the stairway was steep and narrow, and the lighting "down there" consisted on one bare 100-watt bulb that, when it burned out, you would need to replace using a flashlight to see what you were doing.

If there were windows in that basement, I do not remember them.

There have been other doorways..."those" doorways...in my life.  And they have been there in your life, too.

Doorways that lead to who knows where. 
-The first day of school is probably one those doorways.
-Most likely your first love is one of those doorways.
-The first time you decide for yourself to do something you know is wrong, and it just might have some fairly bad consequences, is one of those doorways.
-First job...finding your career...retirement:  Each is one of those doorways.
-The birth of your child(ren) is the kind of doorway we are talking about.
-A bad diagnosis from the doctor...approaching death: yup.

Where do doorways like these lead to?  They lead to "who knows where."  They lead to "heaven only knows."  They lead to "I'll be danged if I know."

And what to do?  What to do?  Walk through that doorway...or turn around and walk back the way you came?  What to do?

I remember a line from the Eagles' "Hotel California," when the singer is standing at the doorway and thinks to himself, "This could be heaven or this could be hell."  Doorways that lead to who knows where.

Here are some words from actress Gilda Radner that are very instructive about doorways in life:
"I wanted a perfect ending.  Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.  Delicious Ambiguity."

So yeah, it could be heaven or it could be hell.  Or, it could be that you are at the intersection of mercy and grace...and that doorway in front of you could lead not to the dark scary basement, but the next best thing on your path through life.  Delicious Ambiguity.

There is no ideal world for you to wait around for.  The world is always just what it is now, and its up to you how you respond to it.  (-that, from Isaac Marion)

So, what door do you want...number 1, number 2, or number 3?  They all lead to who knows where.