I hear them before I see them.
The sound of change.
Cattle trucks.
The rumble.
One. Two. Three. Four.
A farmer up the road is selling one of his herds of cows.
One of the three surviving dairy farms on our road.
Now two.
A sob catches in my throat.
We were that farm last Spring.
We tried to sell.
But the market was so bad, we couldn’t get out.
I call my farmer.
I ask if he saw the trailers.
He softly says yes.
It is hard to be in an industry that you watch slowly die.
It’s painful.
All those cows.
Generations of working the land.
Hauling rocks, smoothing out space for hay land; for pastures.
Two farms.
A son and his father.
His father now gone on before us.
The son and father lending a hand to help us raise our barn 27 years ago.
A son and father working hard.
Looking up
I want to offer to help.
But I’ll be in the way.
There’s no room for anyone or anything when this happens.
The tears continue to slide down my cheek.
Change is hard.
I hear the trucks coming back down the road.
Slower this time.
Laden with weight.
The sound of change.
This change has a finality.
A way of life not sustainable any longer.
I continue on with my daily chores.
Winter is knocking.
Equipment need to be greased and stored.
There’s still wood to cut.
We’re replacing windows in the old barn.
I’m pulling out the window quilts for the house and preserving apples for the winter time; longing for something fresh.
It is time for winters rest.
The sun shines and reminds us of hope.
The warm rays reaching in to do the work needed.
These times are changing.
The sound of change.
We need to step into gratitude.
We practice our praise until it is the habit our soul longs for.
We need to overcome our soul amnesia in this season.
We are a people created for praise.
30 Days of Thankfulness
Autumn
I am thankful for:
Steaming mugs of coffee on chilly mornings
Unexpected movie time with my farmer
A house with laughter and memories
church on the couch and digging in deep
essential workers in our home
the freshness of snow on the mountain
neighbors who carve and display a sea of pumpkins
Youth who can gather
a former youth, now Youth Pastor
Faithfulness in the generations
Truth
practicing gratitude
