Farms are work! Most people can never understand how much work goes on around here on a daily basis. I am so thankful for farmers of all kinds. Big farms, little farms, cattle farms, chicken or pig farms, crop farms, all farms/farmers are necessary and underappreciated! (my opinion) But at the end of the day, there is a lot of work involved and sometimes people can get the wrong idea. Our philosophy is that we aren’t chasing a living, we are chasing a legacy!
Let me explain a bit. From the outside looking in, and sometimes even from the inside (LOL), it looks like all we do is work. But there are days that we relax, have fun, eat out for dinner, and we even take trips! I know A LOT of farmers who don’t get those luxuries and certainly don’t get them as often as we do! And yes, there is more going on at our house than just farming and that plays into it as well. We both hold full-time jobs and side hustles along with the day-to-day farm business! I’m tired just writing about it! But there is a reason and there is goal.
But let me be very clear, we are not chasing dollars and certainly not chasing a living. We are CHASING A LEGACY. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. ” We aren’t just working to provide for our family today, we are working to be able to leave them something that will be here long after we are gone. (If the Lord doesn’t come on back quickly!) In that legacy is not just houses and land and things. Legacy is also morals and values and character and a spiritual walk with God.
From the outside, it looks like we may have used our kids as slave labor most days, and I am for certain that there are days that they thought so! But no, we were chasing a legacy in them too. We were raising adults who would have strong work ethics and leadership skills that could function in the real world and then pass those same things along to their kids. I hope we have done just that! But if that is all we leave them, then we have failed. The desire is to also leave them with a relationship with Christ that stands the test of time.
Most days are hard and long, but this isn’t a short game. You don’t chase a legacy and accomplish that in a day, a week or a month. It takes years and it takes commitment. Proverbs 16:3 is one of my favorites. “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Every day, we try to commit that day to The Lord and hopefully achieve His plans.
Most importantly, one thing is for certain, we don’t chase the blessing! Some days it may look like work was the most important thing or that we chose to chase the blessing or the money…. Let me say this, God has proved himself over and over and over! I literally am crying as I write this, just thinking of all of the times that He has blessed us, brought us through and been just what we needed at the right time! We aren’t anything special and we sure don’t deserve just how good He has been to us. But one thing is for certain, we have tried our hardest to obey Him and with that, most days I believe His blessings have chased us!
So today, if you feel like you are chasing your tail or maybe you feel like the enemy is chasing you, read Deuteronomy 28 and take the offense! We don’t have to be pursued by anything other than the blessings of God once we begin to chase Him and chase a legacy rooted and founded in Him!
Lord, may we always chase You and Your plans. May You be at the forefront of every decision and every goal. Lord, may we chase a legacy in You and secure that for generations to come!
What does the Bible say about work? Here are some great scriptures. Don’t take my word for it! What does the Bible say about work?
