I don’t read lots of books these days unless you count Little House in the Big Woods or Froggy Learns to Swim.
But I do love a good book about farm life. And I love to open up Herrick Kimball’s Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian that we’ve had for a couple years and reread parts of it. I love how he writes about his life and about being a Christian agrarian. Here’s a quote from Chapter 24, I’m a Backslidden and Repentant Gardener.
“There is a time and a season for everything, and yesterday it was time for me to return to my garden. I had been away far too long – the whole summer, in fact. Neglected as it was, the land that constitutes my garden had become a dense jungle of weeds.
That is what happens when you don’t tend your garden, when you fail to exercise dominion as you should. The weeds take root and grow huge. They rob sunlight and nutrients and the good seed is unable to grow to its full potential. It is a sad thing to see this happen and to know that it has happened because you have been an unfaithful steward.
But God is merciful to backslidden and repentant gardeners like me. He gives us another chance –next year. I have that hope and the fresh enthusiasm that comes with the thought of springtime and another growing season.”
Herrick Kimball writes about Faith, Family, and Livin’ The Good Life in this small 133 page book. And if you’d like to read more of his writings on this subject, his blog, The Deliberate Agrarian is a great place to do so. Oh, I almost forgot. He also wrote Anyone Can Build A Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker. He also sells parts to build them, in case you wanted to know.
Also, I just love seeing this quote from Thessalonians opposite the table of contents page.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
– 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (New International Version)
