Farm stories

A couple weeks ago on a Saturday evening we had a young couple over for dinner and an evening of talk.  Pete and I usually enjoy asking questions and digging deeper into our guests' minds and hearts.  That night, however, for whatever reason, Pete and I ended up talking a blue streak all night.  At one point we started telling funny stories about things that had happened on the farm in our twenty years there.  And when we once get going on that topic, it's hard to shut us up.  Afterwards I felt kind of bad but it was just one of those "I'm talking and I can't shut up" moments I guess.  

When we got a thank you note for the evening from our guests, they mentioned that they had so enjoyed hearing all funny farm stories.  It made me think that maybe I should repost some things I posted years ago on my old Xanga blog, just to remind myself (and my kids who experienced it with us) of those things, funny, poignant, or just homey.  So here's one from August 6, 2006 about one of our critters.  

Ozzie's Praise

You can hear it as soon as you walk in the barn – a low rumble coming from somewhere amidst the hay and buckets.  If you wait a few seconds, the source of the rumble, a small orange tom-kitten named Ozzie, will come out to greet you.  Most kittens purr when you pet them, pick them up or cuddle them.  Ozzie purrs almost all the time, whether anyone is there or not, whether someone is petting him or not.  He just purrs because he’s happy with life. 

It makes me smile to hear him purring.  I care about my animals and it makes me happy when they are happy.  His purring tells me that he thinks he’s got a pretty great life here in our barn, as part of our “family”. 

God must feel that way about us.  The book of Hebrews draws to a close with these words:  “Through Him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”  Continually offering up a sacrifice of praise to God is, in effect, sort of like purring – letting God know I’m happy with the life He’s chosen for me, the redemption He’s given me.   Recognizing Him as the source of my contentment, the wellspring of my unquenchable joy, no matter what my circumstances.

I think God smiles when He hears Ozzie purring.  “All His creatures praise Him…”