We're All in This Together

Faith is a tricky thing. It’s fleeting and finicky. For me, at least.

Relearning the ‘lesson’ of Faith is often a daily event. And so it was on Monday when Jay, a farm volunteer, texted. He hadn’t been able to find a ride down to the Northern Neck but was looking into train schedules.

I’ll send an email out to the group, I texted back.

Part of me wanted to hit the panic button. My daily to-do list is longer than I can get through. There’s no way I could squeeze in a pick up at the train station. It’ll all work out, I could hear myself say. It always does.

An hour later in the middle of Wal-Mart my phone rang. It was Jeff.

Jeff explained that although we hadn’t actually met, he and his wife are big fans of the farm. He reads all the emails and by some wonderful coincidence they were traveling from DC Thursday morning and would pass directly by the stand.

Jay will arrive at 10:30 tomorrow, fresh from the city with two new friends to boot. All I could do was laugh. This is the way of the farm.

I don’t mean to indicate that the farm has some magical power and that things always “work out”. But this life has opened up an incredible ebb and flow of kindness, generosity and faith.

As I write I’m realizing it’s not the ‘lesson’ of faith that I’m relearning daily. It’s the hard work of asking for help. As a type A, go it alone, overachiever this is not an easy lesson. But it is in the asking that the miracle occurs.

This week ALONE the miracle has a name. Jeff and Anita, who are giving Jay a ride. Mr. Klein who shared his deceased wife’s love of growing by gifting me her greenhouse supplies. Anita and Charles who are allowing me access to their waterfront so my volunteers can get out on a kayak and enjoy the water. Mary Louisa and Al who lent me a kayak. Brad and Liz who are lending me a trailer and their time to pick up farm equipment. Alex and Jay who are volunteering their time, living at the farm and working on my behalf. Ran, Marlene, David, Joyce, Sara, Anne, Mike, Liz, Debbie who volunteer EVERY week. Natalie and Jim who work so hard, always. And, of course, Albert who listens patiently each time I hit the panic button.

Here’s to learning to ask for help and the miracles it brings.

And as always, thank you for stopping by,

Carolyn

#FarmLife