This is a beautiful poem that I came across a long time ago. I think that it wonderfully sums up the homesteading attitude and a life lived by God's grace.
My Farm
My farm, to me, is not just land,
Where bare, unpainted buildings stand,
To me, my farm is nothing less,
Than all created loveliness.
My farm is not where I must soil
My hands in endless, dreary toil,
But where, through seed and swelling pod,
I've learned to walk and talk with God.
My farm, to me, is not a place
Outmoded by a modern race.
For here, I think I just see less
Of evil, greed, and selfishness.
My farm's not lonely ... for all day
I hear my children shout at play.
And here, when age comes, free from fears,
I'll live again, long joyous years.
My farm's a haven ... here dwells rest,
Security and happiness ...
What e're befalls the world outside
Here faith, and hope, and love abide.
And so my farm is not just land
Where bare, unpainted buildings stand.
To me, my farm is nothing less
Than all God's hoarded loveliness.
-- Anonymous
This poem has been in our family for years. It was given to my children's great grandfather, who was an apple farmer in Saratoga Springs, NY. I recently came across the original copy that was given to him; old and tattered. I wish we knew the author.
ReplyDelete