The Power of Grace is Equal To the Magnitude of Love and Our Need For Both

How would you describe grace? Is it something said before holiday meals? Or something said before each meal? Is it favor shown to you even though you didn't earn said favor? We have adopted several meanings for grace, but when it comes down to it, every single one of us needs grace. Every successful relationship has the presence of grace. Every successful relationship also has the presence of something else. Can you think of what that is? It's love.

The greatest act of love ever known to man is described in the Bible and is recorded in the book of Romans Chapter 5, verse 8. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." One of the Scriptures that I find describes grace accurately is found in the book of Romans also, Chapter 3, verse 23-24 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

If you've read this far, you may be asking yourself, "What's this got to do with farming"? God has met our spiritual deprivation through the love and grace provided through Christ. He has also met our physical need for love and grace through the Earth. I mentioned in a previous blog about God making a covenant with the Earth, recorded in Genesis Chapter 9 verses 8-13. "Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

There's a marriage between love and grace, there's evidence of that same marriage between our spiritual and physical needs. The Earth sustains our physical needs by producing nutrient dense food that our bodies require. (Love) The Earth does this despite the millions of gallons of herbicide, insecticide, and whatever else we can come up with to dump in it. (Grace) I find the former nuclear test sites to be a great example of resilience, but also of love and grace. In areas where people thought it was a good idea to blow the Earth to smithereens, the Earth was found to be re-habitable and continues to heal nearly 80 years later. (I'm referencing Bikini Atoll)

What if we, as the human race, could capture and practice these attributes in our daily lives? What would our relationships look like, what would our properties look like? What would our hearts look like towards one another? They'd resemble bountiful gardens where we could visit one another's gardens and get a bouquet of love and a bushel of grace. This is possible when we each take responsibility for our own gardens. It doesn't come by way of a mandate from the HOA, the city, county, or state. Heck, even the church. It comes from each of us taking a look at ourselves and asking what can I do? and committing to do what we can, where we can.

Within the Divine design, we identify interdependence. We are no different in our relationships. Love and grace are what makes it possible. I ask myself, "Is this what you're cultivating Gordon"? Sometimes yes, and admittedly, sometimes no. I'm striving to be a better farmer/gardener in all areas of my life. I ask myself often, "What are you cultivating"?

I hope my transparency encourages you to do the same. We have the model of Christ Jesus as our guide, who sets the standard of love and of grace. I would argue it's the original model of regenerative agriculture. I'd love to hear what you think. Comment or send me an email.

Farm News

As I mention "interdependence" I encourage our members to consider utilizing the resource for local, pasture raised, organically fed, poultry we have made available to you. Pricing is available through the website, email, text, or phone call.

We currently have

Whole chickens and turkeys

(Limited) Bone in and boneless breast (Chicken & Turkey)

Leg Quarters (Chicken & Turkey)