Generosity

We got some more beans shelled.  Two of these beans I planted as soup beans, the red ones and the multi-colored ones.  The white ones are green beans that we let go after we'd gotten all the green beans we wanted (and it was hot and we didn't want to go out any more).  The black beans are a complete surprise.  At first I thought maybe a stray seed had gotten planted, but we are finding quite a lot of them.  They say you should keep good garden records.  One reason, I think, is that you don't look so foolish when mysteries like this appear.

Yesterday we visited a family who has been an inspiration to us.  Our first visit was in the dark of late winter and a dense fog had fallen over the area.  It was the first time we'd ever talked with real people who had a family milk cow, and it was our first experience milking.  They had started from scratch just like us.  We were expecting comments that it was tough but worth it.  Instead, they were wildly enthusiastic... about their milk and their life.  Even the daily milking was no big deal.  "Every day you brush your teeth, you milk the cow, it's no big deal."  And these people are homeschooling their ten children.  If they thought it was no big deal, then it would certainly be okay for us.  We left that day feeling so empowered and excited to start our own adventure.  The fog gave the whole experience a mystical quality.

When Christina arrived, it was these friends who got us through those early weeks, coming to our house to teach us how to milk, comforting us through the emotions of such a steep learning curve, and sharing lots of wisdom.

They have just gone through their second calving and we went to see the calf.  Again our nervousness was put to rest with their experience and enthusiasm.   We came home with two gallons of fresh milk.  Such a treat!!  They also sent boxes of apples and onions they had gleaned.  They live in a agricultural area and are well plugged into the gleaning network.

One of the "signs" God gives us in discernment is that opportunities open up.  When God wants you to move in a direction, the doors seem to open, often unexpectedly.  This family has been like that for us.  Out of the blue we found a large family, interested in the same lifestyle as us, but walking the path about a year ahead.  What a gift!  Their generous spirit of sharing wisdom, encouragement, and food, resonates with the generosity of God and inspires us to look around for those who need our wisdom, encouragement, and food.

Those grains of wheat we tossed around only ten days ago have been energized by our Creator God!  The whole area is covered by these sturdy-looking little grasses, over two inches tall already.  I am amazed!  Then I think, why am I so amazed at grass?  But it's wheat!  My response reveals how far removed I have been all my life from my food, that something as simple as growing a grass that produces a grain head feels like such astounded magic.  Regardless, it is good to feel so close to God.