When we married, I told Kirk that we would live in Kansas City for five years. Then we would move on. Kirk, who grew up on his family’s farm, glanced at me with a raised eyebrow and said, “We’ll see.”
He doesn’t like change. I thought I needed it.
Five years turned into fifteen – an incredibly sweet season. We made friendships and joined a beloved church family. We worked for the college ministry Cru, and felt privileged to walk with students as they found and followed Jesus. The Lord gave us three children. Our house in Overland Park echoed with little feet running through the kitchen and the table saw buzzing in the garage. Children and home renovation projects filled our weekends.
I settled down. This was home. While we traveled often, I no longer desired to move. Our roots ran deep.
The Lord whispered, “Prepare for change.” Uncertain about our future, we waited and prayed for a year and a half. We loved our life. We loved our work. “Why, Lord? We don’t want a change. What’s next?”
Out of nowhere, the answer came. My mom mentioned that my uncles and cousin wanted another family member to join the family farm operation. We prayed and the Lord softly said, “Step this way.” We said yes. Leaving Kansas City and ministry brought grief. The unknowns brought apprehension. We packed up and moved to eastern Nebraska confident that we could trust the Lord.
A new season arrived.
I’m the big city girl who never wanted to live on a farm. I suppose that is not completely true. My eight-year-old self dreamt of living on my grandparent’s farm. But then I grew up. Give me the hustle and bustle of the city. I love having neighbors.
When I say we farm, I mean Kirk. He’s the farmer. I am not. He drives tractors, feeds the cattle, and repairs broken equipment. My kids know more about farming than I do. I know little.
We live on the edge of town, one block from cornfields. That feels strange. I wave to our neighbor across the street. I drive a short distance to the grocery store. Someday we plan to live on the farm, but today I am thankful to ease into this agrarian life.
This year I spent hours driving the kids to the farm to explore and help their daddy. My Little needed me to tag along and keep him out of trouble. This gave me opportunities to observe and learn. I watched the farmers ultrasound beef cattle to check fat marbling and calculate when they will reach optimal market size. I drove a four-wheeler. And I am learning that sometimes things break, making Kirk late for dinner.
I get asked how I’m liking this new season and I still can’t really give an answer. I know I can’t like what I don’t know, so I’m determined to learn. I want to learn what farming actually means. I want to ask questions and hear the answers. I want to explore this slice of Nebraska and discover what makes it special. I want to find trails to wander and migratory birds to watch. I want to pause, notice, and record. And maybe, just maybe, I will be able to give a concrete answer the next time I’m asked.
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