Comments from Clueless

This morning as I was diddling with my blog, I saw I had a comment on the blog about the beaver chopping down our cherry trees.  A limerick comment, no less, with good meter and rhyme and a number of accurate facts. 

Here's Clueless' comment:

Clueless said...

Sorry to hear of the setbacks. A lesson might be that to wage war on the environment is not a task to be taken without understanding the resilience of Mother Nature. A productive relationship with the earth begins with listening, and involves more giving than taking. In that spirit, I give back your limericks:

Attitude adjustment revisited

There once was a large rodent who gnawed
fruit trees of the agriculturally flawed.
For clear cutting its food
in a manner so rude,
beaver’s revenge shocked and awed.


There once was a rooster who crowed
all day long to protect its abode.
But with hen and chicks eaten
this loud cock was beaten,
I guess he’s just a bothersome load.


Agriculturally zoned may sound good
but we can see it’s a nice neighborhood.
Residential’s the class,
what a kick in the ***!
And a shame for once beautiful woods. 

Passionate, principled people can see the same facts and arrive at very different conclusions as Clueless and I have.

I was reminded of Teddy Roosevelt's words:

...to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly....

Nothing in my life has taken me on a greater adventure or made me feel more alive than farming.  Failures and all.  Disagreements and all.

Even still, maybe we're wrong.  I sure hope not.  I believe not.  But possibly we are.  We're doing the best we know and yet we may be wrong.  The racoons may eat the chickens and the beavers may chop down the fruit trees and maybe we deserve it.  Maybe Mother Nature is kicking our ass for just cause.  

I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln's words about the Civil War.

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."	3
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

 

Pray for us, friends, that both Clueless and I will be firm in the right as God gives us to see the right, striving to finish the work we are in, binding up wounds, and doing all which may achieve a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with everyone.

 

Pray for me that when I am wrong- whenever and however I am wrong- that God in severe mercy will kick my ass right.

And especially pray that in all times we experience grace- unmerited blessing and goodness- so real that we breathe it.

Amen.