Inside the Farmer

A year ago my grandfather fell 15 feet off a ladder onto a concrete pad 

while working on the big doors of his shop.  

His injuries were very serious and the prognosis was full of a lot of maybe's and lengthy steps to attempt to rehabilitate.  

You may have seen my past posts about his accident and recovery.  

That's him with my little brother and I in the photo above - 

you can probably guess about when by the truck in the background!

Today, blogger Chris Chinn shared her thoughts on that inside part of farming, 

that look in the eye - determination, strength, hope, eternal optimism. 

The video linked up at the end of Chris' post says it all.  

It could have been my grandpa and his daughters and grandchildren in that video. 

 The voice of the farmer's son speaking about that phone call - we know that feeling.

We praise God every day that he has helped to heal the body of my grandpa 

so that he is now - just a short year later - 

back on that tractor.  

It took the whole family.  

But above all, it took those things that lie within him that you can't see.  

When the doctors were full of doubt because of his age 

and the extent of damage to his bones, 

he surprised them all with his body's ability to heal 

due to a life of hard work.

When everyone around him was full of fear,

he remained calm, determined and kept his eye on the prize.

When everything hurt and in our desire to protect him 

we wished (and tried to convince him) he would just lay still, 

he pushed himself because he had that internal determination 

to get back on that tractor.

Because that is where he belongs.