This year I planted a large garden. I wanted to try some grains and really be thoughtful about how and where I planted everything. I’m by no means a good gardener; I just like to think that I could be… possibly.
So, planting grains by hand was a new experience and I learned lots of things to not do next time. Then I dropped the ball on weeding at a crucial time for the wheat. I learned another hard lesson: only harvesting a handful for seed. This year my garden has been full of lessons to learn: mainly the hard way.
The barley was looking hopeful and harvest went well. After leaving the stocks to hang for three weeks it was time to extract the berry heads. This was a lot of hard work for very little reward. It made me really reflect on how our ancestors worked so hard to survive. Large families were a blessing I’m sure!
I would not eat much bread if I had to do all that work for a few handfuls of flour. All bread items would be a delicacy and only made for really special occasions! I’d be eating a lot of potatoes or something that takes much less time to cultivate and get on the table.
Our forefathers were tough! There is no denying that. We have grown soft and rely on machines to do a great majority of the work for us. I fear we’ve lost our appreciation for how blessed we truly are. I know I had!
The innovations and machine have given us more free time, less physical labor. But how are we using this for good? What have we lost in the process?
I fear we have lost our since of community; the bonds that were formed standing side by side as everyone labored together. God created us to help each other and work together. I think all the free time we have gained has been wasted on things that don’t really matter; speeding from one activity to another, watching TV, and lots of other entertainment experiences. We may all be better off if we had a little more physical labor and less time for entertainment.
It’s a different time for sure. Maybe it’s time to ask some tough questions. Are we allowing ourselves to become physically and mentally lazy? Are we giving ourselves too much free time to get in trouble? Are we really connecting with the people around us? Are we willing to make some changes?
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