If you were not raised on a farm, you may not be able to fully grasp what that life is really all about. As a child growing up on a farm, it never occurred to me that there were children who actually got to relax and do exactly what they wanted to do with their summer vacations.
While our friends in the city were going to the city swimming pool or visiting friends and watching TV all day, my siblings and I were working from sunup to sun down on the farm.
It seemed that there was always something that needed to be done on the farm. There was one thing that my siblings and I were always in total agreement about and that was how much we hated going to the cotton fields. Yes, we hated chopping cotton, and we hated picking cotton and I do mean hated it! But it didn’t matter how much we hated it, we still had to do it.
So, as I look back on those early years of my life, I realize that during those very long hot days, my character was being shaped, I was also developing a work ethic. I was learning the importance of teamwork and how to be a team player. I was learning how to persevere even when the circumstances were uncomfortable. I was learning how to work until the job was done and sometimes that meant pushing past tired. I also learned the value of resting when it was resting time. I learned to value all of God’s creation, whether it be animals or nature. And wow!!! I can’t even begin to tell you about all of the life skills that I was blessed to learn from living on the farm. So, so many wonderful lessons came from those long hot summers on the farm. Don’t get me wrong there was work to do year round, but Summer was definitely the hardest as far as I am concerned.
Looking back I can see that God used this experience to prepare me for my life’s work. Isn’t it amazing that the very things that we hate going through or doing, are the things that God uses to prepare us for His perfect plan for our lives.
The hours that we spent working together no doubt created a special bond between my siblings and I, that we have until this day. This has been another great perk from living on the farm. So when you think life is too hard just know that this is part of God’s perfect plan for your life, and it will be used for your ultimate good and His ultimate glory!
Years down the road you too will look back and see how He was right there in the middle of the plan preparing you for the next level that He plans to take you to. So trust His timing and His ways because His ways are certainly higher than our ways!
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Proverbs 16:3
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Colossians 3:23
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
