Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. Deuteronomy 1:21
I may be wrong, but I think that all of us who have been at this agrarian lifestyle for a while find ourselves a bit lost at times, looking for our roots so to speak. We make progress, then find that our progress has put us back in the world we turned our backs on. Maybe not complete re-immersed, but heading that direction. Or maybe not reconnecting with the world so much as at a loss of what to do next. There's certainly no lack of jobs to be done, at least not on this farm, but sometimes I'm just stalled out. What to do????
I think the first step is to start at the beginning, remembering and reflecting on who we were and what we wanted when we started all this; remembering the meals cooked over an open fire, the nights spent reading in the dim lantern light, the evenings waiting for the sun to go down so bathing with water dipped from a 5-gallon bucket would be a cool pleasure; remembering when there was no money for barns and lots and fences; remembering when I thought I was crazy for thinking that this was God's plan for me and knowing with all certainty now that it was and is. Those at the beginning of the agrarian journey don't have the luxury of time for this type of reminiscing, those of us who have been here a while need it.
The next step for me is to think of those who are in the same circumstance as we were and to find ways to help and encourage them. I don't write nearly enough, but it is cathartic and rewarding for me and part of this next step is to do it more often. I get emails from people who say "We've bought 20 acres. What do we do next?" I shake my head wondering how do you answer such a question, then I decide that I should at least try.
So readers, I don't know how many of you there are, help me by letting me help you. Lend me your beginner's enthusiasm. Share with me that God given spark of craziness that leads you to want to leave the city and milk goats and grow asparagus and keep your children close by your side. Talk to me, ask me, share with me, help me over the hump, tell me what you need to know.
Heartfelt blessings to you all, till next time,
Judy
1 comment:
Judy, I don't know if this will help, but I only know that I look forward to your blog each and every time you write it. I check almost everyday to see if there is something new. You are the woman I wish to become someday. Some days I feel like I'm carrying a heavy load in this material world that I'm stuck in, but everyday I'm coming closer to your world. You keep me on track and encourage me. If you have time, please write more often.
Manette
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