Ya know, God was right in saying, “It is not good that man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18).
Now before you get on my case that the verse is in reference to Eve and not to what I’m about to get into, let me stop you. This is no sermon. This isn’t Sunday School. This is me and my heart and my experience.
I’ve got big dreams and high hopes. I want to live “off of the fat of the land” (again, referencing Of Mice and Men). And it isn’t easy work. I’ve got a to do list longer than I thought possible and not to mention a sink full of dirty dishes and a floor that needs vacuuming. Seeds need to be started and plants need to be watered. There’s a chicken coop flat on the ground, crushed under last winter’s snow. I won’t lie to you, there’s an overturned school bus and several rusted mufflers and a thousand aluminum cans. A row of tires and a mound of rocks. Old brush and a leaning silo. A dog that needs bathing and a stinky litter box that needs changing. And a hole in an old pair of leggings to be mended and a stack of candles to be poured.
I guess what I’m saying is I’m just one lil cutie pie. And that’s a lot to ask from just one lil cutie pie.
I recently learned about the alarmingly high suicide rates for people in the agriculture industry. And then typed “suicide prevention methods” into a Google search. Well, actually, I typed “suicide preventional methods”, but that’s embarrassing. “Connect with people you trust”–large print, near the top.
Before I put my feet in the soil and get the dirt under my nails, I am here to connect with you. I’m here to build community. Because we’re not meant to do this alone. We’re not meant to handle the longest to-do list of our life with no support. We are meant to lean on one another and share generously–resources and knowledge and wisdom and fruits. I’d love to hear from you if you find yourself also with a deep longing for community and camaraderie. Please reach out if you’re a farmer too, novice or experienced. We’re better together, I believe.
You’re out here doing the Lord’s work, and you’re not alone. Neither am I.