Faith

After giving Thanks for another day, I woke up thinking about what I have done this year and what I have to do.

This crop needs another three weeks or enough time to mature before it freezes, whenever that is. We aren't promised it but we have to have enough Faith to let it happen or whatever is going to happen and go from there.

I did some outreach yesterday with some friends and then stopped at FSA and Soil and Water and Extension to work on ACRE and conservation and pick up my Farm Science tickets. The budget cuts gave Extension the excuse to be closed on Friday, the Friday before the big event, in my home county and neighboring county.

The cuts are going deeper, closing some of our dear Post Offices in the rural areas of this country and even the city as they announced the closing of our big Cincinnati mail hub in Queensgate this week along with all the closings of little rural post offices.

When our elected officials spend twice as much to make a penny or a nickel than it is worth in trade and they finally start waking up to the fact Americans are tired of this and start cutting, this is what we get. I would give up my nickels and pennies to keep the post office open.

I wouldn't give up my Faith, though. Some days that is all you have left. As I was pulling weeds and looking at our crop, LuAnn called and reminded me of the Farm Mass near Greenfield. We went to the tent in the field and settled down for another visit with the Eucharist. It was cool and we got chilled quickly but the setting in nature in front of a big corn field ripening was so spiritual it warmed the soul.

Three geese flew over right before the ringing of the bells, representing the Holy Trinity. My mind quickly went back to the time recently when a big flock of geese flew over dad's grave as I was giving thanks and praying for dad and all of those who are no longer with us here on earth. Everything seemed to be in God's Time, not mine and everything was right with the world for a moment.

After the bread and the wine was communed, we went to the garage for 35 pizzas and drinks and more desserts than I ever saw in a garage. It was a modern day farm feast. I went to the farm field and pulled an ear of corn and it was a whopper, on a highly eroded field where they don't get 100 bushels some years.

The ear had 18 kernals around and 50 long, that's 900 kernals. 700 is a really good number. That just confirmed my Faith that if we apply what we have been given and have faith, we will survive and prosper some years like it has always been since the first man.

Take time to give Thanks today and work a little on your Faith. That's what I am going to do as it works for me.

Ed