It’s raining this morning!!  As farmers, we love seeing rain come, all within balance, of course.  We love the rain!! God waters the fields and the ground soaks it all up like a sponge!! The reason I share this is because today is mowing day because tomorrow we have our first ever U-Pick Sunflowers event!  We want to make sure everything is in tiptop shape here at the farm.  I know the kids had to be so happy this morning when they heard the raindrops hitting the house.  For the summer, mowing is usually done once a week and there’s a lot to mow!!  I also have some weeding to do as well in preparation for tomorrow, plus a few signs to make.  Always plenty to do here!! I always tell the kids, “If you’re bored, let me know” because I can find something for you to do.  Since it’s raining I have opportunity to write this post, which I’m excited about sharing.

Last week while I was getting ready for a meeting, un-farm related, my mind was working pretty hard on marketing strategy and, to be honest, worry.   I was spinning the wheels of my mind pretty fast and had been for a few weeks.  Worry was setting in…  I just didn’t want all of our efforts to die out in the field.  You see, we decided to plant all these sunflowers as a jumping off point in the farming business.  We have other crops as well, but this is where we put our investment this year and I so much wanted to see a return on it.  As I’ve mentioned before, farming is hard work, nothing wrong with hard work, it’s just nice when you can see the fruit of the hard work.  At this point, I’ve done all the things I know to do, reach out to businesses that might be interested, blow up social media letting people know we’re here, and networked.  All of which aren’t easy for me to do.  I love our farm and I love sharing our story so that is what I have tried to do, but the phone wasn’t ringing and people weren’t knocking the door down to get here….  Everyday that I looked out the door and saw those yellow bright sunflower faces staring back at me was another day that they were dying.  I know, sounds dramatic, but it’s how I was feeling.  I just kept thinking, one more email, one more call, this would  be the one.  Yes- we had some businesses say they were interested in our flowers, but that hadn’t, at this point, produced any orders.  What was I going to do!!??  We just didn’t want to fail.  Last year was not a great farm success and we just wanted a win this year, no matter how small.  Keeping in mind we have only been at this farming thing for 2 years and on a part-time basis as Wade works a fulltime job, although I would definitely say the farm is a full-time job for me.

BUT, don’t you just love a ‘but’?  Here’s the awesome part..  As I was standing in the bathroom fretting and working my brain God showed up!!  Have you ever heard the saying, “If God brings you to it He’ll bring you through it?”  I think that statement works in the situation… He just reminded me that, if I’ll let Him, He’s right here waiting to put His hand on this!! That if I’ll stop trying so hard and allow the God factor into the process He’ll open doors and make opportunities I would be unable to open and if I’ll let Him move in this it will be what He desires for it to be.   So while my mind was going a million miles a minute He was saying, “Just take a breath, let me handle this.”  He wanted me to move with Him!! Shew!!  I just began to cry, tears of relief began to fill my eyes and my heart melted in the arms of my Father.  He reminded me that He called us here and that He desires to be a part of everything going on here.  You see, I almost lost sight of the God factor for a moment, but the peace that filled my spirit after that moment with my Daddy was just what I needed to bring peace of mind and to remember that I don’t have to do His part.  He knows just what He’s doing, it was like He said, “I got this!”

This song…. Take a listen, let Him have it all…  Here’s my declaration: Today, I surrender my need to control.  Today, I surrender my need to be it all.  Today, I grab a hold of your hand Father, you know best and the best is what I want.