Nor Have An Anxious Mind

Our two gorgeous ones enjoying spring grass...

The day started off dreary and a bit rainy. Not unlike other recent Ohio mornings.

We seem to have lots of rain. But what was different this morning was the news. Corona Virus. Covid-19. Every news channel you turn to, flip to, or read on your phone. News about it is everywhere. It's in Ohio. Does anyone we know have it?

Have we been exposed to it when we were out buying essential items? Can you get it

from the mail? (a bit alarming I saw a news report that mentioned opening your

mailbox with disposable gloves...Do we need add gloves to the shopping list??)

The questions go on…

So...back to previous thought. It's raining. Animals need to be fed. A busy part of being a hobby

farmer. It doesn't change if it rains or storms, if it's hot and dry, or if Covid-19 is out and about.

Simply put the animals need to be cared for.

I grab my heavy barn coat (so thankful today that it is also waterproof), pull on my knee high,

insulated Muck boots and head out into the pouring rain. The sounds and smells of the barn

greet me as they always do. With days full of confusion and chaos, it's nice to have simple,

calming sameness. Same sights. Same smells. Same animals. Our beautiful white horse nickers

to me as I step inside the barn and close the door behind me. Our beautiful bay gazes at me,

seemingly analyzing how long it will be until I have her feed scooped and poured into her dish.

She's a bit impatient, that one. With a toss of her head she turns around in her stall.

She'll wait...for now. But not patiently. 

Tugging the lid off the metal bin, I lean it against the bin next to me. Hmmm, the smell of the

horses grain is a welcome one. Familiar. Quickly I fill two scoops of grain and pour them into

the the feeders of the waiting horses. They are ready for breakfast. Then I fill hay bags and water

buckets. Feed the chickens. They are fluffy and dry. Even the open door to their safely screened in

outdoor run isn't tempting them today. Just the duck. He's busily exploring a fresh puddle from the

rain. The chickens prefer to watch from the doorway. That's what they do. And that's okay. I put

their treats into their pan and add grain to their feeder. They have plenty of water in their bucket

so they are good. No eggs yet. Too early.

By now the horses are wrapping up their grain. Our bay is watching me. She knows I've taken the

hay bags outside and she is ready to go find them. But for now she waits for our elder statesman.

Our beautiful white gelding takes a bit longer to eat these days. And that's okay. He's still the boss

of the herd. He just chews slower.

Both horses are done eating now. Grain bins are empty. With a tug I open the back door of the

barn and shove it open. The horses step out into the mud. Yes mud. It's Ohio. We get rain.

We get mud! And lot's of it. 

The horses trot around to their hay bags and settle in to breakfast. The chickens are contentedly

pecking at their treat pan. The cats munch on the feed store's finest cat food, from their

individual bowls. Everything is calm and quiet. The smell of alfalfa hay wafts through

the air. It's as good as perfume.

Everywhere I look everyone is calm. Patient. Eating or drinking. They all have a warm, dry

place to sleep. They all have plenty of food to eat and water to drink. They don't worry about

meals. They just know that come meal time I will be back. The feed bins are never empty at

meal time. The water bucket is always full when they want a drink. They have shelter from

heat in summer and shelter from cold in winter. They are taken care of. And you know what?

So am I.

Sometimes I feel fear. This week is a good example. But in reality, I don't need to. See, I have

someone who provides for my every need as well. Thankfully there is food in our pantry,

and water at the faucet. We have shelter from the heat in summer and shelter from the cold

in winter. As I write our wood stove burns merrily, warming everyone in the house. 

Fear. I looked it up. It's in the Bible. A lot. According to www.BibleGateway.com it appears

457 times in the New King James Version. There are 353 references from the Old Testament

and 104 from the New Testament. I'm going to concentrate on one of my favorites, from Luke 12.

The subtitle in my bible, above verse 22, says "Do Not Worry." That's a welcome reminder

for me today! In this portion of chapter 12, Jesus is talking to His disciples. He tells them this

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body,

what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing." Jesus knows

that they have fears, just like we have fears. But He specifically mentions life. Are you worried

about your life? Or that of your loved ones? I know that I am. We pray about this daily. Now,

multiple times a day with the illness that is sweeping not only our land but also our world.

But he also mentions food and clothing.

Jesus goes on to call our attention to the ravens. Have you ever seen a raven? Ravens, as opposed

to crows, tend to be found in pairs. Crows in groups. They have dark black plumage. But simply

put they are birds. In verse 24 Jesus says to "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap,

which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you

than the birds?" In verse 25, He addresses those of us who may be concerned about our height,

by saying "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" and He continues in

verse 26 by saying "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?"

Do you feel anxious? I know I have this past week. Have you seen any empty store shelves?

Lilies...Warm weather and lilies. I love to see beautiful lilies growing. Apparently Jesus did too.

In verse 27 he says "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to

you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Solomon. Remember who

He was? The wisest and richest man who ever lived? Israelite King, that was visited by the

prestigious rulers of his time from all over. Jesus reminds us the simple lily, which is clothed by

God, is arrayed even finer than Solomon.

Grass...there is some in the picture at the top. Our horses are enjoying it. Beautiful, green, rich,

spring grass. In Luke 12:28, Jesus says "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the

field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little

faith?" So God clothes the grass too? Ahh, but we are coming to my favorite part, verses 29-31.

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For

all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these

things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Nor have an anxious mind...hmm, I've been anxious. What about you? I've seen the news reports,

seen the extended school closings, seen the projections if we don't practice "Social Distancing."

Working in the ER for 20 years provided plenty of fodder for worst case scenarios. How many

ventilators do we have? What about all the other "normal" patients that we have right now that

are in the intensive care units this time of year...will there be enough? Staff? Beds? Ventilators? 

Jesus finishes His encouragement to the disciples by saying in verse 32-34 "Do not fear, little

flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms;

provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail,

where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be

also." Hmmm...where is my heart? Where is your heart? Has your 401K taken a hit this week,

today, like everyone else? 

I love this passage. Jesus hits all my fears from this week. Life. Food. Clothing. Anxious minds.

Money. And I am reminded again that I don't need to worry. Just like my horses don't. I don't need

to worry that God will "show up" at meal times. I don't need to worry if God will "show up" at bill

paying times. I don't need to worry about my 401K, or perhaps the lack thereof... Simply put Jesus

tells me not to have "an anxious mind." He's more faithful that I am. And I can tell you this,

I would never leave my animals in need. I can't change the virus circulating around our globe.

But I can stay home, wash my hands frequently, and continue to pray.

And I don't need to live in fear. Neither do you.

Don't have an anxious mind. God's got you.