Grass is Greener

There are times in life when we see things that seem silly or absurd, and we shake our heads. Later on we are often confronted with the shocking realization that we are remarkably just as absurd. 

On our drive to "town" which is about four miles from our house, our closest neighbor is about a mile and a half down the road in a beautiful valley.  They have recently added cows.  I slow down to a crawl in the valley because of deer, but now I also must be on the lookout for an escaped cow. 

She is out nearly every day, just on the other side of the fence, eating grass that looks a whole lot like the grass on the inside.  The grass this time of year is sparse and brown.  The saying "the grass is always greener" certainly could apply except that there is NOTHING green. 

 In fact, the cattleman brings in hay everyday for the herd.  He is usually there in the morning when I drive by.  He has a flatbed truck filled with hay, and the cattle expect him and love for his truck to drive in.   Everyday, that cattleman attempts to round up the stray cow and lead her back into the field.   In the morning when he returns with more hay, she is out again eating the grass on the other side of the fence. 

Well, she misses out on the blessing of hay daily because she is out.  By the time he gets her back in, most of the hay is gone.  How silly and stubborn of that cow.  How maddening to the cattleman.  How will she learn?   What will change her mind and keep her where she needs to be,  where she will be safer and better fed?---- a repaired fence.   Her mind is incapable of learning it, so she simply needs the fence to be fixed.   This will take time and resources for the cattleman, but in the long run it will be beneficial for him and for the herd. 

Do you see yourself?  I do. When left to my own devices, I would charge my way out of the fence everyday and enjoy the freedom of the grass right by the road.  I need a good fence.

What is it?  My faith is my fence.  It is a secure barrier.

I also see myself as the cattleman.  I get frustrated and easily miss the issue at hand.  I need to mend the fence. My faith needs to be strong.  I need to read and know what God has to say and to be hemmed in by it.  I need to fix the fence.  I need to examine the things in my life that are causing a weak spot in my fence.   I need to pray for the Lord to show me the spots that my sinful self loves to jump through and charge out of.  I need to let Him fix the weak spots.  His word is true, and He is unchanging and unwavering.  May my fence be unwavering as well.  I will dodge much heartache with my fence of faith strong. 

I am thankful for the things I see that I think are silly.  They are all around.  I am humbled daily just when I think I have things together---  just when I think I have found the best pasture on my own.  Ha. 

Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

A Dry and Weary Land

It has been a while since I have stopped my body long enough from the busyness of life to allow my mind to really think on things and to reflect on those things.

Summer has come and has started to drift into the very beginning stages of autumn.  There has been a crispness in the air in the mornings that is like a whisper of things to come.  It is not only a pleasant feeling, it is also a refreshment for the mind, the body, and the soul that is weary from the dry and hot summer.

This one has been an extraordinarily dry summer with soil that is cracked and desert-like.  The weeds can not even survive the dryness.   Our yard had not been mowed in almost 2 months.  I hung clothes out on the clothes line for the first time this weekend (because of a reconfigured dog pen vs. backyard which is another story), and they were dry in under 30 minutes.  Dry might be an understatement. 

I saw an aspen tree last week that is already starting to change to light yellow-- one or two crisp mornings, and it is ready.   I think all of creation here in the Valley is ready for autumn.  There is a longing for rain and for the change of seasons. 

There is a thirstiness evident in nature by the cracked soil, the brown, crunchy grass, the lack of flowers and weeds, the sparseness of the trees.  When people are thirsty it is harder to tell.  Our tongues get a little thick, but we will often live with just enough that no one would know how thirsty we really are.    We act like we are quenched, but all the while we are trying to slake the inner thirst of our souls with things that will never satisfy.   Our souls are parched and brown and looking dead.

One thing that is true here in our drought-stricken valley is that when rain comes, the struggling vegetation responds and responds quickly.  We had a rain for almost an hour last week and within two days we had patches of green grass where the brown and crunchy grass had been. 

Our hearts are similar. Just a few drops of the word of God and we notice a softening and a hint of life and beauty.  The living water of Christ is what we should thirst for.  His fountain will provide what we need and will fill our cups until they overflow.  Even in the midst of a physical drought in our surrounding world, our hearts can be healthy and flourishing from the well of life that we have because of Christ.

During this busy and dry summer, I have tried to remember that verse from Psalms about my soul thirsting for the Lord, and I have been asking Him to be my all-- to satisfy me totally.  May I not look at my surroundings or other people or things for satisfaction but only to Him.  He is all I need.  He is the Living Water, and I will never thirst again. 

Psalm 63:1 "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;  my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

What is your job?

We woke up to a low and loud "MOOOOOOOOOO" the other Sunday morning.    The dogs were barking and the cow was mooing.  We squinted as we tried to open our sleepy eyes and get a glimpse out of the window.  Yep.  It was a cow.   It was actually many cows in our fields far and near.  Most of them were couplets of cows and their calves. 

The rancher who has cattle next to our property has been wanting to put cattle on our land for a year now, but has used other pasture because of the dryness of the grass.  This spring things are green and relatively lush for here.  This Sunday morning was the time for the gates to be opened between the properties and for the cows to have free reign. 

It really is a peaceful and beautiful sight with the black and brown cows on the green hills with the bluish/purplish mountains in the background.   The dogs were beginning to settle down as they realized that the cows couldn't get to them and that all they were doing was eating, and eating, and eating.   There was only one thing that the dogs really hated.   There was a white donkey in the field.  It stuck out like a sore thumb.  He was moseying around eating just like the cows.  The dogs did not appreciate the big white thing in the field.

We watched him and tried to figure out if he had a purpose or if he was just another animal that the rancher had that needed pasture.  He came to the fence and became fast friends with Isabel who was ready with some carrots.  He seemed like a gentle and docile old creature. 

The next time I was at work, I was talking with one of the midwives who lives next to the rancher whose cows we are hosting.  She said that the donkey is about as sweet as they come, and that he is invaluable.

It turns out that the docile donkey does indeed have a job.  His job is to protect those calves.  He keeps the coyotes away from the babies.  She told me that they got him about four years ago and haven't lost a calf since to coyotes. 

What an unlikely hero.   He is a donkey with a mission.  He herds the cows around and keeps the calves from wandering.  He reminds me of each of us.  We are placed in the fields, surrounded by others, with a purpose.  Be alert!  Do your job!  Eat your grass and occasional carrots, but be on the lookout for the coyotes.  Embrace your purpose-- seemingly glamorous or not. 

1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Three Days of Community

I was introduced this week to yet another new concept--small town community. Saturday night there was a fundraiser at the school for a family in the valley in deep financial need. The mom has cancer, and they are without medical insurance. Isabel's dance class was invited to dance at the event, and so we planned to go.

As I got in the vicinity of the middle school, I was overwhelmed. There were cars everywhere. There were hundreds of people there. They were there to celebrate knowing this lady and her husband and kids, and to help in whatever way they could. There was a silent auction of things donated from local artists and businesses-- even a big freezer of elk steaks. There was a barbecue dinner and ongoing talent on the stage.

On Sunday, our crew went hiking with some friends of ours, and on the way home we had to stop for some commotion in the highway.   Someone's fence had fallen and their horses were out and in the highway. About five truckloads of people (including our hiking partners who were a few minutes ahead of us) were out in the road corralling the horses and helping them get back into the fence. Things stood still on the busy road until the horses were safely contained.

On Monday night, the PTO for the schools had invited the Harlem Ambassadors to town for a basketball game versus the hometown heroes. We had gotten tickets a couple of weeks ago to support the PTO, and the kids were thrilled to see a few of their teachers play ball. When we arrived at the high school, it was like something from a movie. EVERYONE was there. The team of local heroes included principals, teachers, the sheriff, the owner of the garbage company, the owner of the electric company, the city manager, and about twenty others. Every seat in the gym was packed with standing room only. It was a bit like being in a movie, or taking a step back to simpler times. For a weekend we saw community at its best. People thinking beyond themselves and meeting the needs of others.

Small town life is no utopia. It holds the same pressures and life heartaches, but what a beautiful reminder of how we are to pitch in and be a neighbor. We are to gather in hard times and hold each other up, and in lighter times we play and laugh.

Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." 

What is that?

The first snake of the season bit the dust last week thanks to yours truly. Yes, it has begun. It has been a beautiful and enjoyable fall, winter, and spring of cool to cold weather. I have loved letting my guard down a bit. Our guards have been back up for the past month or so with warmer weather, but I honestly did not anticipate seeing one of my enemies this soon.

I was driving on our road, perhaps a half of a mile up from the house. All three kids were in the car with me. We all spotted it in the road at about the same time. We drove up pretty close and took a good look. We needed to see if it was a rattler or a bull snake. The head was kind of turned where we couldn't see it, so we looked at the skin and the tail. It was a little hard to tell (we are a bit out of practice since our last rattler was August 25), but the consensus was that it was more likely a rattler than not. The skin was dull and the tail appeared to have rings. I used my signature vehicular snake-acide move and backed up, drove forward and slammed on my brakes when on top of the snake. It worked like a charm. There was no question that the snake had met its demise.

Unfortunately, we were able to now examine him better and realized that he was a bull snake. There are defense mechanisms that this harmless snake uses that are not to its benefit. A bull snake will even pretend to shake its "rattle" and coil up and reshape its head to look triangular. I suppose that that may help in the animal kingdom, but with this human it backfires. There is such a similarity that I couldn't tell in the time of decision. It was a good refresher on the looks of the bull versus the rattler for the beginning of our snaky season.

I was saddened that I had killed what is supposed to be a "good" snake. It did, however, make me stop and think about a life lesson. What am I trying to emulate or imitate? What is it that I think will help me survive but is actually leading me into more danger? Sometimes I think we can get sucked into the world and its glitter and can begin to want to look like others-- in our dress, hair, speech, attitude, lifestyle, and even priorities and drives. It is subtle--- so subtle. Before we know it, we are a bull, but we are looking like a rattler.

We have to be careful who or what we are aspiring to look like. We are clothed with Christ's righteousness if we belong to Him. Our person to be looking more and more like is Jesus. May there be no mistake when others look at us in our everyday life on the road. I hope they don't have to stop and debate- "is she good? is she deadly? what is she?" May there be no question that I am who I am because of Christ and that my life is hidden in Him.

Colossians 3:1-3 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Strange? Yes, but I have seen it before.

We have had the privilege of experiencing many, many new and odd things as we have lived our first year on the prairie. This past two weeks have brought with them a new found and wonderful familiarity. For the first time I began experiencing things I had seen before. We have come full circle and are back where we began.

There was a sweet smell in the air when I walked to the mailbox. Then I noticed that some small purple flowers (weeds) are cropping up in the yard just like last year. I have a vase of them in my kitchen window right now thanks to my sweet babies. The fruit trees are budding with deep pink blossoms-- and I know the bees will follow in the next few days. I cleaned out the flower beds and there are things that I planted last year coming back! As I stirred up the soil/manure I remembered the flies. Guess what? They appeared out of nowhere in the next hour!

The twenty plus turkeys have reappeared at exit 87 in the field alongside the interstate. The blue birds are back, and so are the yellowish kind of bird that was Ben's favorite last year. It sings a beautiful melody over and over and over again. The magpies have returned to their favorite bush (we call it the magpie bush of course) just down the road from our house. The mule deer are back, and the white tails have become scarce. The cows are having their babies and we see mom and calf pairs in the fields.

Hold on to your hat (literally)----the spring winds are back. They never totally left, but they are certainly stronger and more frequent. We had a warm and balmy strong wind two days ago and today it is cold as ice cutting through my jacket like a knife. I am confident that they will remain "as long as there is snow on the mountain." And speaking of snow, I was not surprised to have nearly a foot of snow expected today after temperatures in the lower 80s two days ago. We had two or three big snows last year in April and May--- weird but familiar.

The cycle of life has made another revolution and with it comes a new familiarity and appreciation. In a life of many, many unknowns, it is a relief to have "known" things to cling to. I don't know why those weird turkeys like exit 87, but I like that I can be confident that I will see them there.

When I have no idea what is coming or how situations will affect me and those I love, I can cling to the familiar and the known. I can cling to the promises of Christ in scripture. I can cling to Christ himself. He is unchanging as we walk through the changing seasons of life. He is a comfort. He is familiar and amazing. He gives me strength to face the flies, bees, and yes... the snakes that crop up among the purple flowers and beautiful songbirds' melodies.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who gives me strength."

An Entire Year-- My Boots are Well Worn

It is hard to believe, but we have been in "the valley" for a whole year. March 13 marked one year of country living, and I can report that we are different people than the city slickers who pulled up naively in the moving truck last year.

There are a few hurdles we have had to get over this year that we would not have chosen. It's that way in anyone's life. If we could see the things to come, we would likely lock ourselves inside our houses and never come out. We certainly would not be willing to head out on adventures that involve change. But we have found that change has been a challenging treat for the Cason five.

We are still overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountains, the fiery brilliance of the sunrise, and the diamond-like sparkling blanket of stars in the pitch black night. We all still watch closely for wildlife and see deer, hawks, coyotes, and antelopes almost daily.

Our hope when we moved here was for a new kind of existence-- one that is a little slower, a little more outdoorsy, and a little simpler. I am very aware that a move to the country is not necessary for those changes, but it certainly has helped us. We are better at cooking at home, for example, when forced to do it. Actually, I have found that I am better at lots of things when I am forced to do them. I never dreamed I could shoot a snake, chop a gopher in half, kill mice, bail out 250 gallons of water from an overflowing cistern, haul wood, start a fire, keep a fire going, have pets, mow the grass...... the list goes on and on.

I am sitting at the dining room table now and watching out the window as I type. I see eight pronghorn antelope running. There are two hawks gliding over the fields back and forth up and down like waves on a beach. The serene and the savage are mixed beautifully.

Serene and savage--- that may just sum up the past year. Adapting and yet still awed--- that would be our hope for the next year. There are so many more things to learn and things to learn to enjoy. That rings true of each person's life underneath the mundane and the familiar that seems to trap us in ruts. May we all allow our next year to be an adventure and may our hearts be filled with thankfulness for whatever we face.

Psalm 18:32-35 "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me too stand on the heights. He trains my hand for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me."