According to the
Merriam-Webster online dictionary,
REDEFINE transitive
verb, \ˌrē-di-ˈfīn\
1: to define (as a
concept) again: reformulate <had to redefine their terms>
2 a: to reexamine or
reevaluate especially with a view to change b: transform
My boss once told me that I am the most analytical person he
knows. I wasn’t sure how he meant the
comment to be taken, but I decided I would take it as a compliment. And he surely is right. I am analytical by nature…perhaps to the
point of paralysis when it comes to making certain decisions. Like starting a blog, for instance. I analyzed the idea from every angle – What
would be the focus of my blog? Would I be able to keep it up? Would people read it? Would I
read it?? How would I make my blog interesting and
engaging? On and on the thoughts
went. Poor Ryan – he didn’t know what he
was in for.
Speaking of Ryan, when we were dating and I began to
contemplate (analytical, remember??) the prospect of joining him in our own
Green Acres of sorts, I started to observe what I would categorize to be two
groups of farm wives – those who were jaded by years of long hours and
financial uncertainty and those who were not.
I made up my mind then and there, that by the grace of God, if Ryan and I
were going to be married, I was not going to be a jaded wife. As I began to think about practical steps to
avoid becoming embittered, I began to think about how I would change the traditional
depiction of farm living. How I would
like to redefine it.
Fast forward to Monday, June 25th, 2012. I was on my way home from work and on the
phone with my good friend, Rose. Rose and I were catching up on life. Her husband, Scott, is currently overseas
with the military and meanwhile, she is busy stateside. Rose also has a blog where she chronicles
life and Scott’s military updates. So
when I was telling Rose about life after marriage – settling into a rural
farmhouse, getting 11 chickens, starting our first garden, shooting 3 rabbits
with a 20 gauge shotgun, and the miscellaneous other stories – Rose says,
“Lin, you need to start a blog.” And of
course my desire to start a blog was immediately rekindled.
I hesitated though, “But Rose, no one will read it.”
“I will” she says.
“And so will your sisters.” She
did have a point.
So that got me thinking.
That evening as I was sitting on my lawn mower…errr…lawn tractor mowing the lawn, I prayed and
decided – I’m just going to try it! And
I started to get excited.
Some of you may be
wondering, “How exactly do you intend to redefine farm living?” Well, as the above definition suggests, I
hope to reexamine with a view to change…and maybe even in some way rediscover
the heart of the farming lifestyle with regard to -
o A
joyful rather than jaded spirit. So much
of what I associated in the past with farming was drab – Long hours of arduous
work. Tight budgets. Bad years. Even worse years. Mud. Straw. Manure. Need I say more? But I truly believe that the farming
lifestyle (and as I have discovered, it is indeed a “lifestyle”) has so much
richness to offer. Difficulty, yes. But
also so much to celebrate. Ultimately,
it is my hope that the difficulties and pressures of life will serve to sweeten
my spirit rather than embitter it. And
for those of you who have thought of farming as I once did, as dreary and somewhat unappealing, perhaps the glimpses you see here may be enough to convince you of
its beauty.
o Growth
– capturing growth and the process of maturation in all of its forms.
o To
discover and when needed, to introduce, loveliness, femininity, creativity, and
a sense of culture to farmstead living.
o Ryan
and me – What does it look like for Ryan and me to make a life of our own on
the farm?
o Jesus – Most importantly, what does a
farming family, or an entire farming operation, look like when it is completely
centered on loving and adoring Jesus and loving others? Our church recently finished a series about the book of Philippians, "Re:Defining Everything", in which we were challenged to redefine our lives around Christ. We trust God to work in us for the sake of His good purposes and glory.
And as I seek to redefine the farm life, I realize that in
many ways, I will just be defining the essence of it. Hence, Re:Defining the farm life.
Until next time,
Lin
S.D.G. - "Soli Deo Gloria" - "Glory to God alone"
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