Growing up on a farm.....

Though farm life isn't always easy and not always perfect, I truly believe that a farm is a wonderful place for children to grow up on. Children have many learning experiences on a farm that they don't learn anywhere else. As you grow older you realize the effect a farm has on your life naturally and spiritually.
One of the most wonderful things about the farm is time..time seemed endless. We had time. We were rarely rushing to go places that we needed to be "on time" for. We were always busy and there was never a day wasted, in a way. But I feel that on the farm we didn't take the time to do as much spiritual things that we should have done..read the Bible together and pray together. This makes it harder to learn to make time for this..plus learn how to do it. But I do have good memories of my parents that that showed us good examples..seeing them pray and reading nearly every day..which they continue to this day of course:)
Another good memory that gave us so many spiritual lessons is the crops. We were involved in the daily development of crops. The thawing in the spring, the plowing, the planting, the waiting and waiting and finally harvest time. With each "step" there were many things that needed to be prepared for this step to be accomplished. You can't plow the field without having a fine-tuned tractor and plow...you can't plant till you have bought the seeds, and you cant harvest without the harvest being ready. Now with all that you have to be patient. We knew as kids that rain, hail and wind could wreck the whole crop. We could feel the effect a ruined crop..we knew that all that preparing and working couldn't stop a storm. So it is spiritually..there is so many little steps to prepare for the future but we can't predict or stop the future.
Taking care of animals is a huge memory of the farm. Just like taking care of crops, animals take even more diligent care. It was a daily thing to make sure they were fed, milked (the cows), clean, and healthy. I loved taking care of the cats on the farm. They had a big part of helping the farm..killing the mice. However we still had mice:P I remember once watching a mother cat give birth to 4 of her 6 kittens.. the cat's mother was there with her arm around her daughter as she gave birth..quite the bond! Several times I would watch calves being born and watch them till they knew how to stand to their feet and nurse their mother. I remember teaching the calves how to suck on bottles..quite a feat! I remember sitting in the little shed talking to the chicks and holding them in my hands till i was sure they wanted a drink of water. Then I'd set them down by the drinking can so they could have a drink. I remember feeling the pain of a cow as dad gave cows a pill the size of a hot dog..sticking that big pole down their throat to drop the pill down. And I remember brushing the cows with a thick wire brush..one cow in particular would lean into it..she loved it! Perhaps this is why I'm in childcare..I love giving that special touch of care! Spiritually, learning to take care of something alive makes you more aware of taking care of yourself, and others. Every day we keep learning more about we need to be doing for ourselves to better serve God. And every day we are faced with the fact that we need to encourage others and help them along this way as well.
I guess this is all for now.. really there is a lot..and its hard to share them all tonight:) have a goodnight:)