Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

It’s a late Summer evening here at the farm and as the evening light starts to gather in the far recesses of the sky I sit here quietly at the dining room table, looking out over the farm fields around the house and just taking some time to think about where my life is headed.

Someone a few months ago asked me to sit and take stock of my life and to describe in a few words what I saw in it. I came up with one simple statement, that my life was a wonderfully enriched life with great joys and great sorrows, but above all a life that never has been quite able to live up to it’s potential.

I haven’t really dwelled too much upon that conversation, and the pessimistic view I had of my life. For a while now I’ve just been trying to rebuild and move forward without thinking too far into the future….surviving if you will, living for the day, and many times the moment and keeping my head down just simply plowing through all the challenges that lie ahead. In my own mind, I believe that someday, if I continue to just keep moving, not giving up, the peace and happiness that I have searched for will come when I least expect it, but it will come.

One night last week, I sat down to watch a movie and had rented “Facing the Giants”, an interesting little movie which was pretty well loaded with a very strong Christian message. As I watched and listened to the story, one segment caught me off guard and it was as if a light bulb had gone off inside my head. The message that touched me is one I’m sharing with you today, and one which I hope each of you will take a little time to reflect on yourselves.

There is a parable about two farmers, both desperately needing rain to help the crops to grow. Obviously they didn’t live in Iowa in this year, since we don’t seem to be having an issue with rain. Both of them prayed every day and looked to the sky often, hoping for a sign of rain. But only one of the farmers went out and planted his field. Only he was ready when the rain finally came.

How many times in our lives have we waited and worried for the rain to come, but hadn’t done anything to prepare our fields? Instead of spending out time preparing for good things to come, preparing for happiness, we instead fret and worry and procrastinate over things until the point where it’s too late for anything to be done as the rain is already here and our crops aren’t in the ground yet?

We, you and I, need to have a change of heart if you will, and start preparing for the rain which is to come. For me, that means getting my life in order. Worrying less about finding happiness, and more in making sure I’m prepared for it when it comes. Making sure that I’m spending a little less than I make each week. Doing the best I can to make the most of every day, every opportunity that comes before me. Also working on myself everyday and my inward and outward attitude towards life in general. They don’t need to be drastic daunting changes that are made, but little small things that I consciously do to prepare myself for rain.

When that rain finally comes, rather than hiding from it and cursing myself for not being ready, I’m going to stand right out in the middle of it with my arms raised high, and making sure that I’m thankful for it, every chance that I get. Will you be ready for the rain? Are you prepared? Ask yourself those questions, and take a moment to think about what you can do to get ready when the shower comes your way.

See you next week…remember, we’re all in this together.