Reflections at the Barn
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“The Lord your God will bless you with full barns, and he will bless everything you do. He will bless the land he is giving you.” Deuteronomy 29:8
I walked through what was left of the barn on the farm I was raised and where one of my brothers currently lives. Part of the barn was destroyed several years ago by straight lined winds. My brother has built around the original structure. As I walked through the barn, the smells triggered memories of childhood. I remembered feeding the sheep and the cows. I remembered my first experience of helping to birth a lamb in the barn. A portion of the hayloft where we stored the hay and straw remained. I recalled cleaning out the barn and playing in the hayloft. The memories were of hard labor and of fun. Now I am thankful to have been raised on the farm where I received an appreciation of God’s creation – the animals and the land.
The barn provided shelter for the animals, it stored food for them, and was a place to milk the cows which supplied milk for my family and gave us an income. Even the storms of nature could not completely destroy the barn. Even if it had, the memories and the lessons learned from the barn would always remain. The barn is no longer a place for animals, but it stores machinery and vehicles and some stuff. Its purpose has changed, but it is still a barn. The foundation of the barn remained strong even through the storms of life.
This past week, a cousin died who was part of my childhood. I remember spending time on the farm he was raised and being in the barn as the cows were milked. The farm and the barn represent the memories of my cousin and his family. The barn reminded me of his love for the land, tractors, and his respect for his parents who taught him to appreciate God’s creation and the blessings of God.
As I reflect on the barn of my childhood, I realize it has taught me about life, loss, and living in the different. The journey of my life has been similar to this old structure. My purpose was to first learn from my experiences on the farm and integrate them into the foundation of my life. I experienced the cycle of life through the birth and death of animals in the barn. I came to appreciate the work which instilled in me a strong work ethic. The barn served its purpose over the years – more than 100 years. I have been productive and served God through my ministry career. The barn and I fulfilled our purpose and believed we would live this same life forever.
And then life changed for me and for the barn. The winds tore the barn apart and loss ripped apart my life and changed me forever. We both experienced a period of time where we felt exposed to the elements of life and lost our main purpose. My brother restored the barn by building around it and giving it a purpose to store equipment. God has walked me through the journey of grief to find a different life and purpose. I, like the barn, have found a new meaning and purpose to life. Our foundation remained even through the storms of life.
God brings us through the storms of life. We have just witnessed the storms of Hurricane Ian which has brought devastation to an area of our country. Grief and loss consume so many after this storm, but God is the one who brings us through the loss and gives us hope and comfort when it seems impossible. God does not restore us to our past life or reinstate things to how they were, but God builds upon the foundation of our lives to create a different life that can bring fulfillment and blessings.
Even when life is different, it can be good and fulfilling with inner joy and contentment. We cannot restore and re-create the past, but we can build on the foundation the past started for us. The memories remain within our hearts just like my memories of the barn and my loved ones. God calls you and me to live in the present and experience this different life knowing God walks right beside us encouraging us each step of the way.
