55 Years And Counting From The Tractor Seat By bill whitman Reflecting on Christmases of the past My wife and I have been talking about how hard it is to get into the Christmas spirit with all the advertising and distractions going on. Most people know, that read my articles, that I am a FarmTube watcher. I just finished watching Messicks Christmas 2023. Truly a well-directed and produced light show. I’d be interested in opinions of how other folks see it compared to years past. I’d also direct yourselves to pay close to the theme of each of their productions. Continuing the thought of how hard it has been to get in the spirit, those who do not believe in God, should maybe move on to another article in Farm World. Did you know that the agriculture industry is polled as the number one industry with people of faith? No doubt there are non-believers and atheists in agriculture, but they are few and far between. As I think back to Christmas’s past in our home, each began with the unwrapping of a nativity scene. Crowning the Christmas tree was a star, or sometimes an angel. Each demonstrated the core meaning of Christmas to people of faith. Long ago, God loved mankind so much that He devised a way to send a Savior to be born among mankind. That Son was born in a stable, a lowly stable, where His earthly parents welcomed Him into this world. That Son would ultimately be sacrificed on a cross for my sins and the sins of all mankind that would accept Him personally into their lives. Fast forward to now. I never wonder why pews in churches of every faith are occupied on Sunday mornings by farmers and ranchers. Each day, our lives are impacted by the hand of God as we experience the awesomeness of new life born on livestock operations, the loss of some, but always we see and “feel” the power of life, and death. When the farmer waits on the weather for planting, growing, and harvesting crops, we see the amazing miracle of a seed firmly bedded into the ground, take root and grow. We wait patiently for rain or endure too much rain, storms, winds, tornadoes and weather conditions I don’t know the name of for a crop to be produced. Each year we trust in the Lord to see a harvest and be able to look forward to another year, and somehow, every year, in His way, He provides. At least personally, this has been a difficult year for losing neighbors and friends. In some cases, I know that I know that I know, I will see them again for they knew the Lord. In other cases, I just don’t know but I’m glad that God is the final authority. So, in a world that seems to distance itself from acknowledging any Creator, we farmers and ranchers are still drawn to remembering a baby, born in a stable some 2,000 years ago who would live a sinless life and go to a cross to be the sacrifice for sin. It’s personal, for no matter what we’ve done, (and I’ve done far more than most), the promise of life today, life tomorrow, and life eternally is available to all. This year, like years in the past, families will remember a nativity scene and a star on top of the tree to guide them through another year. Everything else… is just a distraction. IndianaAg@Bluemarble.net |
