Bright Hope Farms

Walking around on the farm in the early morning is a real treat.  After a long night’s rest, when all is still and quiet, I enjoy hearing the farm animals stir and perk up, and watch them engage in their particular farm animal behavior. This is my cup of coffee.   It is a true delight to walk toward the chicken pen and see the rooster standing on the watering bucket, claiming his rightful position as head of the flock.  He looks at me and startles as I approach.  How dare I interfere with the headship of his harem?  He is truly cocky and his demeanor announces he is in charge and relies on no one for his God given poultry prestige.  I chuckle at his proud display of pride.  Why?  I know he needs me.  His head darts neurotically from side to side as he flees his roost on top of the water bucket.  “Oh my how you tower above the rest, Mr. Rooster. Perhaps you should get a corner post.  It is a wee bit higher than this measly bucket,” I jest.  I love talking to the animals.  Each farm animal has its own antics, so worthy of note.  I take note of their complex and intricate behavior and can’t help but feel in awe of our great and glorious God. 

After tending to the laying flock, I meander over to the pasture to greet the milk cow.  I see her on the other side of the fence … just barely.  Her ears and muzzle are barely visible as she is laying down in lush green grass.  Joy washes over me as I remember the phrase of the 23rd Psalm, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”  I continue to marvel at the agrarian way of life.  When farming, one can grasp the fullness of God’s character in simple things like a cow resting in green grass. 

As I move through the gate, the newest addition to the farm greets me from her paddock.  A healthy heifer calf anxiously awaits a bottle of milk.  Feeding her has become quite a feat lately.  She bucks the bottle so hard I drop it.  I often chide her for such naughty behavior.  It is useless as God created her with this inborn behavior.  If she were with her momma, she would roughly butt the udder causing yet another reflex from her mother.  It is a cue for the mother to let the milk down and let if flow.

As I approach the paddock, the milk cow rises to her feet. She knows it is time to milk.  My mind wanders back to a few months ago.  She was a wild cow, untamed and tenderly :) referred to as Psycho Cow.  I was uncertain I would be able to tame her for milking.  Today she greeted me with an extended muzzle ready for me to attach the lead rope to her halter. There was no chase or wild thrashing of her head.  She had settled down and followed me across the pasture to the barn.  We walked through the gate and settled into the morning routine of munching on alfalfa, swishing the tail at flies and squirting milk into the stainless steel pail.  The first few squirts hit the pail with a tinlike echo. After a few minutes the sound changes to a deep kerplop with each stroke.  It is music to my ears.  I am greatly satisfied with this simple task.  It is through milking this cow that I understand the effort, struggle, and reward of taking dominion over God’s creation.  I wrestled with the cow’s stubborn will a few months ago. There were times I surmised I should sell the obnoxious bovine, yet persistence swelled up within me.  After a few weeks of wrestling with my own flesh in the form of aching hand muscles, we now enjoy an ample supply of wholesome milk. 

Just think.  Through farming I have learned about the intricate diversity of God’s creation, I learned about His almighty and bountiful provision for the animals, the inborn reflexes and responses between cow and calf; I learned how to deal with an untamed cow and subdue her to obedience.  The end result: the feeling of well being and peace as I provide a common staple for our family. 

Recently I heard someone say, “I don’t know why on earth anyone would get a milk cow.  It only ties a person down.  The only reason to have a milk cow is for survival reasons.”

As I pull down on a teat plump with milk, I smile.  It is a matter of survival.  I need this wholesome food.  You see my spirit was fed this morning as I experienced God’s eternal power and divine nature through the cows and chickens he has made.  Then, of course, there is the added bonus of fresh milk, too.  Yes, it is a matter of survival to me.

Romans 1:20

Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.  So they are without excuse.