Hang tight – I’ve been in a bit of a reflective mood…
As I was weeding and hilling the potatoes today, I couldn’t help but think about why I was out in the sun working in the garden when it would be so much easier to just buy some potatoes from the store. Then I started thinking about why we do any of it – garden, the chickens, or pursue this homestead dream at all. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m fully able to put it into words.
It’s not about money.
While there can be a bit of savings, it is not a cheap hobby as a whole. Plus, it takes a lot of work. Literal blood, sweat, and tears go into running any type of homestead – no matter how big or small.
It’s not all about living a sustainable lifestyle.
In our day and age, it is definitely a part of staying aware of what goes on during these times. God gave me the ability and desire to grow food for a reason. Only He can fully know what the future may hold, and I can do my part by taking these little steps in obedience.
It’s not all about the quality of the food that we can produce either.
In my last post, I talked about how that is one of the reasons we are raising pastured chickens. For many years now, we have been aware of the level of toxins that are in our food today, and how it slowly wreaks havoc on the body. We believe that it is because of this toxic load, that some of our children suffer from certain food sensitivities. Yet, that is not the full reason we choose to pursue this lifestyle.
….I guess I can really only speak for myself in this. It’s not the full reason I choose to pursue this lifestyle.
One of the gifts God has given me is that of a nurturer.
While I’ve looked at this gift from a segmented viewpoint in the past, I’ve come to see this gift in more of its fullness. I am a nurturer, whether it be to a plant, an animal, or a person – that is who I am. Over the years, it has manifested itself as I took care of my siblings growing up, as I pursued nursing school, as I took care of my own children, as I pursued homesteading, and as I started my business to nurture and encourage other moms and families.
My goal is to bring joy, hope, and peace into the lives of those around me. Whether that be through food, offering a listening ear, a kind word or deed – something that lets them know that they are loved in whatever state or season of life they happen to be in. It encompasses the whole person – spiritually, mentally, and physically.
When I think of homesteading, I see it as the fullness of what it means to nurture.
It is life and death. It is food and hospitality. It is welcoming arms and listening ears. It is laughter and play. It is rest for the weary traveler of life. It is nourishment for body and soul. It is a place for all seasons, and a place for new beginnings.
I have to constantly remind myself of this everyday.
I have to remind myself that I can live this out no matter what our living situation may be. We don’t have land, we don’t have a home of our own, but we can still live this lifestyle in small and simple ways as we continue on this journey.
I used to think that I had to reach the destination in order to start living the life I felt like God was calling me to live.
Now I’ve come to realize that He has given me the ability to fully live out my calling in the here and now. I don’t have to stay stuck and you don’t either. Many times it feels way more comfortable to stay stuck because it is familiar. Trust me, my friend, that leap of Faith really is just taking that simple, next step in the right direction.
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