“When each earthly prop gives under, and life seems a restless sea, are you then a God-kept wonder, satisfied and calm and free?”
Streams in the Desert
Last week we were without power for more than 24 hours. A tree limb took down the power line. This is always a major concern around here as our 1/2 mile service runs down a tree-lined wind break, through the forested area of our property and to the transformer between the buildings, making it OUR responsibility – long story AKA rant for another time!
We have chicks that need heat lamps, pasture-raised meats in freezers, a deaf child who is reliant on power to hear through her implants, and it’s still cold out. We knew it was going to be a long haul as we entered the evening without service. With candles, generators running, and tons of blankets, we all sat in the living room chatting and laughing every time someone flipped a light switch to find something in the dark.
Trust me, it was not all a pleasant family experience. There was plenty of grumbling and complaining and anxiety as we at times wondered if we’d ever have power again.
Morning came and a dear friend brought coffee – THANK YOU! The private electric company came to repair the lines and got stuck! With all this rain, the grounds are oversaturated, flooded in many areas, so naturally their truck got stuck in the mud. We called a neighboring farmer with a much larger tractor than ours to help free the truck from the mud. That big tractor showed up, looking capable of doing anything, but after it freed the truck, it too got stuck. Our John Deere is pretty much one level above a hobby tractor and it was now up to it and Farmer Jones to free both from the mud. Like two smooth stones in a young boy’s hand (you know the story of David and Goliath), the little tractor freed the larger tractor from its mire of humiliation.
A few hours later the power company restored power to the repaired line.
The next day I walked over to the area where the truck and tractor were stuck. What a mess. The area that now has massive ruts and tire tracks was the place that for the past few seasons I’ve wanted to plant asparagus. I’ve often chastised myself for not getting the crowns in the ground on time and each season when the window for planting closes, I self-loathe! But, thank God I had not planted. The destruction would be far greater if an established and sprouting asparagus patch had been ripped up in all this chaos.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, I was reminded that even in asparagus planting there is guidance and many times that guidance is in the stalls, the not-yets, the obstacles and the stays.
Glad for the lessons this week that remind me to “be still and know” and also hoping for a less chaotic week – if possible. But even so, take heart if your trust and peace are beyond the tangible.
Until Next Time,
-Mrs. Farmer Jones Locavore Farm