It’s been another year around the Sun for my farmer.
It’s hard to believe.
These years seem to be just sailing by.
Yet this year has been hard.
The Joy Thief began to set up camp and we didn’t catch it early enough.
He’s dug in his heels and my farmer fights each day to trust and wrestle.
He rises each day before dawn.
He tends to animals and details of farm life before most of us have fluttered awake.
He never complains.
Equipment breaks, the cold wind howls, milk prices drop, milk production drops; yet he perseveres.
Every day.
He loves his family and works to be at functions and activities.
He rarely misses anything.
He trusts God.
His heart is woven directly from his mothers.
He serves with everything he has.
His needs; always last.
He makes the sacrifice.
For everyone.
All the time.
And we’re celebrating him today.
Though he wishes he felt better.
We actually celebrated last night while most of the kids were home.
We’ll continue celebrating today.
We’ll remind him of truth.
We’ll pray over him.
We’re pleading with God to help joy return.
We pray that there is purpose in the pain.
We pray that we are faithful in the journey.
May God receive all the glory for our journey on this earth.
We know things need to change around here.
We’re at the end of the road.
Change is inevitable.
For now.
We will do what we can.
The days are getting longer and sunshine is returning to this area.
The snow from the storm the other day is gone.
We’re thanking God for our farmer today and hoping to help him in any way we can.
His gifts this year are acts of service.
He doesn’t like gifts.
He doesn’t like attention.
His quiet ways steady me.
His strength I take as my own.
I tell him I would still choose him, even if I knew what I know.
I’d do it again and again.
The sunshine spills over the mountain this morning.
I hold on to hope.
I’m praying it’s enough.