Well, we have finally done it! We have finally gotten to the point that we are going to fix this crossing! Now this area was previously used not only for the cattle to pass over, but for tractors and equipment, even trucks, to cross from pasture to pasture. But over time and with the heavy rains that we have had, maintenance of this area has not been done and it shows. It is time to repair the breach!
Our cattle cross here twice a day from late fall through mid spring. Daily, the cattle are led across to the winter pasture and left in for several hours and then led back across. They can only stay in the winter pasture for a few hours and the only way that they can get there is across this end of the pond.
The part of this crossing that is covered by water, is not that deep and has a rock bottom. Now you can’t tell, but the end of the crossing closest to the winter pasture, where the water ends and before the grass begins, is deep and extremely muddy. I would have loved to have videoed the cattle going across, but I am for certain someone would have had terrible things to say about it and us!
I had a hard time watching the cattle cross myself, as these big girls sank deep into the mud and struggled to cross. For the small calves, the mud was very difficult to get through. The danger was real that one of them would get injured from crossing. So with a few dry days on tap, we have made it a priority to fix it!
Thankfully our friend showed up with his trackhoe and here we are, on our way to not only a safe crossing for the cattle, but one that can be driven over by vehicles and tractors.
Now in order to repair the crossing, it has to be completely dug out and destroyed. There were places on both sides of the pond, deep in the ground, that contained better dirt and material for the dam-like structure that needed to be built. A pipe was added for drainage and then the clay that was dug up, was added and the crossing turned from a deep, rock bottom mud pit, to a high, wide, stable crossing.
As I watched and thought about the work that was being done, I couldn’t help but think about Isaiah 58:12 ” And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. “
We all have these unkept, broken down areas in our lives. We all have places that used to be strong and usable in our lives, that over time and after years of use and lack of continuous maintenance, have become not only unusable but possibly even dangerous.
Maybe that area of your life is a relationship that has broken down. Possibly that area is a gift or talent that has not been maintained. Could it even be your faith and simply just your relationship with God that has become broken down and in disrepair? It could also be the foundations of values and morals that we have failed to teach those that are younger than us in this generation that we find ourselves a part of.
We are being called on to become the Repairers of the Breach. It is time for us, the Church, the people of God, to begin the repair of those broken down places. If we start with ourselves and our families, we will begin to see the differences made in our communities and in our country. We need to, as stated in Isaiah, “rebuild and raise up the foundations.” We must begin to teach God’s Word and restore the foundations that our parents and grandparents instilled in us. We have to repair the breach.
A breach will only happen where complacence lives and vulnerabilities are not taken care of. Just like in our crossing, we got busy with the cares of life and allowed that area to break down and continue in disrepair. We saw the structural vulnerabilities and did not take the time and yes, the money, to stop it.
Repairing the breach is harder and more costly than the maintenance. It was much more difficult to bring in heavy equipment and dig deep to fix and repair the crossing than it would have been to maintain and repair as we went along.
Repairing that relationship will be harder. Picking up that gift or talent, will not be as easy now that is has laid dormant all this time. You may have fears and doubts that need to be pushed aside as you make your way back into a right relationship with God. Wow, what a job we have ahead of us, to teach those younger than us about God and who He is and what He has done, so that they have strong foundations to build upon and dwell in. Deuteronomy 11 speaks to the importance of teaching our children those things.
Just like we had a few days of sunshine, here at the farm, to dry the ground and allow us to work on our cattle crossing, we have been given an opportunity to spend more time with our children and our families. Now more than ever, God is calling us to prayer and to focus on the things that we can do for ourselves, our families and those around us. Why not take this time to begin to work on the “ancient ruins”, the “waste places” in our lives and in our relationships and work on repairing the breach?
Great work. You have a beautiful place for your animals