"We get closer to God as we get more intimately and understandingly acquainted with the things He has created."
- George Washington Carver
Hey y'all, today I just wanted to encourage and expound on this quote. I think since we started farming, our worldview and our view of God has evolved. The more we understand and the more we learn about livestock, grass, weather, and nature it has just opened up our eyes to see more of who God is. I guess I could see how different cultures look to creation instead of the Creator. I mean, creation really is beautiful and amazing in so many complex ways. But the difference I think is seeing through the beauty and seeing the complexity that only a designer could create.
For instance, cattle are truly remarkable creatures. Not many other creatures are able to use grass and turn it into meat. Their rumen or stomach is essentially a giant fermentation tank where they continually regurgitate their food to further break down plant matter and absorb it for nutrition and store the vitamins and minerals in their fat that then can be used for human consumption. That is absolutely incredible. Not only that but they also provide so many other goods like milk, tallow, and so on. Learning about how cattle function has shown us more of a glimpse of how awesome our God is.
Not only that, but farming also has taught us more about life and death. As most of you know, our sweet chicken Louise passed away this past week. She never fully recovered after the brutal cold spell we had last month. We have also processed some of our own chickens in the past. And while some farmers just shrug it off, I think we see more into the importance of life and the purpose of life. Farm losses hurt, not only from a monetary standpoint, but also from an emotional standpoint. We don't take it lightly when we have to butcher an animal, but we understand more of what it takes to actually get the food that we used to purchase at the grocery store. It teaches you to not be wasteful, to use every part possible that you can, because you raised this animal and you just took its life. You don't want your work and their life to go to waste.
I really do think that George Washington Carver, who not only unlocked 300 different products from peanuts, also unlocked an important mindset and spiritual concept. It just echoes Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” and Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
So I would like to encourage y'all and also give a challenge. How many times do we see God's magnificent creation and become so familiar with the beauty around us, that we forget to recognize and thank God for who he is and what he has provided. It doesn't take becoming a farmer to see this. And the challenge is not only to consider food waste but also the waste of time and moments. Don't waste what you have worked to raise.
How can I pray for you?
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