Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Those first few months on the farm were both hard and great as we learned a lot, and to be honest, we are still learning. I have written about a lot of the various trials we went through, but now I want to share the many good things that happened.
Our farm grew. We purchased some guineas from our neighbor. I don’t know if any of my readers have ever been around guineas, but they are the most ruckus birds that I have ever been around. They are not very cute when they are grown, but they are cute as little chicks. We got them in hopes to raise a flock that would free-range on our property because they are great farm birds. These birds when grown will not only act as great watch “dogs” for the property, but they also kill snakes and eat lots of garden pests plus fire ants. The only issue with them is they tend to fly the coop when they get older, but that is a lesson we learned later on. So, we decided to get ten chicks from our neighbors and raise them.
Jazmyn and Asher loved to watch them in their cage. They love watching things grow, and they were just fascinated by the differences between them and chickens. The first thing Jazmyn asked is how long before they laid eggs because she wanted to see how they tasted. She is my adventuresome eater. She will try almost anything edible and clean to eat.
So, now we had chickens, goats, dogs, and guineas. We were on our way. It was nice to have farm animals. We were very busy. Thankfully, my grandparents, who lived pretty close at the time, were able to help us out every once in a while. They loved the farm, especially my papa. Both grew up on farms, and this opportunity allowed them to relive their past. My papa took it upon himself to help Josh brush-hog, and Granny would give me gardening tips.
Asher was now 11 months old and walking all over the place. He started walking the month before, but now he could practically run. He is my courageous child that will do crazy things as long as he is in ‘control’ of the situation. However, if Josh or I were to try to do anything, like throw him in the air and catch him, he would grip us so hard that we could let go of him and he wouldn’t move from our chest.
Needless to say, with Asher very mobile and Jazmyn, now a three-year-old that needed constant entertainment, things were very crazy sometimes on the farm. For example, if I wanted to go out in the garden to pull weeds or pick, I would have them follow me, but it wouldn’t be long when I would look back, and they wouldn’t be there. I realized quickly that some things would have to wait until Sunday, when I had more eyes to help watch them.
I remember during all of this that I prayed for contentment. I realized that this new chapter in our lives was going to take a while, so I started to focus on the positives. The truth is, contentment is a choice, and it is easy to become discontent. The deceiver wants us to be discontented. Our society is constantly pushing the desire to want more. I will be honest, it takes me to consciously work on contentment daily, and when I look for the good, I end up seeing a lot of things to be thankful for even in the midst of trials. I just wish that by now I would have mastered this wisdom of always looking for the good, but thankfully God is patient, kind, loving, and forgiving.
During this first summer we experienced a drought, which may not seem like a positive, but oddly dry conditions are great for Boer goats. They were all healthy and thriving. Our grass did turn brown, which the positive there was no mowing. Our garden died, but it meant more time to spend on other projects. One project we accomplished was building a chicken coop over the Fourth of July weekend.
We spent more time outdoors than indoors. I was grateful to be out in the country. The children had room to roam, guineas to chase, dirt to play in, and lots of laughter. In the evenings, Jazmyn always wanted to spot the moon first. She had an imaginary friend called Meekos who came from the sky to visit her and then went back to the sky to be with his family. He lived close to the moon, which she had named Notose. Her imagination was beautiful, and it was enjoyable to sit outside in the evenings as a family to watch the moon rise and the stars shine in the night sky. So, even though the first few months were a hard learning curve, we did have some good times.
Count your blessings
It is easy to see the negatives in life, but our Father wants us to see the good even in the midst of trials. The truth is, I know that if I were to write my blessings on a piece of paper and then list my ‘non-blessings’, the blessings side would win. Many people in the world have gone through much worse things than I have, and I have to remember that my Savior is one of those people. So, when I start feeling sorry for myself, I am belittling his sacrifice because I am not acknowledging that I have a Savior that knows how I feel, understands what I am going through, and is there to help me through it.
He is always there and is always working with us. Each day is a miracle. Life ends abruptly quite often. So, each morning when the light wakes us, the first thing out of our mouths should be “this is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa 118:24). It does help me when I start my day with that thought.
Each day is a gift. It gives us one more day to witness the Father’s miracles in our lives, one more chance to say I love you, one more chance to say I’m sorry, one more day to laugh, one more day to cry, one more day to…you can fill in the blank.
A thankful rejoicing heart will not have room for anxieties and worries. Therefore, when the cares of this world start to get you down remember to “give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thess 5:18a) and to bless the Lord with your whole heart and soul, and to not forget all His benefits (Psalm 103:1-2). When we do this, we can overcome the negative thoughts.
So, get out the pen and paper and list your blessings. Then, “count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done”…