This past winter, Mother Nature kicked our butts and knocked down four of our barns. She was having some sort of meltdown and threw a bunch of ice and snow at us. Hopefully, that’s all out of her system, and this next winter will be calmer.
We struggled mightily with the load of losing buidlings, but were supported by our community and family. People came out of the frozen woodwork to help us rescue turkeys and cattle from the collapsed buildings and provide food for the crews. Countless others sent prayers and messages of support. It was a mess, but we were still blessed.
After the winter storms passed and the snow melted, the scene that remained was one of a war zone.
Spring brought crazy winds and unpredictable rainstorms. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we continued to persevere by shifting our production schedule and praying for a break in the weather so clean up could begin.
While our buildings may not have all been standing, optimism could still be found
Most of the feed bins were still intact. The concrete foundations remained usable. Only one of the three turkey barns actually had birds in it, and only one calf was lost in the collapse of the barn that housed our feeder calves.
So what could posibily have stuck out as positive in this situation?
In the fold of mangled metal, our best ladder remained upright. It was hard to spot at first, but there it was just hanging out there waiting to give us a little lift.
How in the world did that ladder not get pulled down by the weight of the collapsing building?
I think the ladder probably stuck to his guns and said, “I am meant to stand tall. I will not let the weight of the world get me down.”
We all should be like that ladder. We should all strive to stand out because it’s what we are made to do. Yes, there may be some serious chaos going on around us, but that doesn’t mean we have to give in to the craziness and let our outlook or purpose be crushed.
Today’s Intentery challenge is to stand out like that ladder.
Let your attitude or dedication be the one thing that sets your energy apart from those around you. Be the one who raises people’s expectations and hope. Stand tallest when the outlook is lowest and be proud that your attitude, heart, spirit, joy, or grace is what sticks out.
By: Melanie A. Peters
P.S. No, We haven’t completely cleaned up the buildings. No, we aren’t sure when we are going to rebuild. No, we have NOT given up.
Intentergy 