Bittersweet Farm

When I was a boy it seemed that the adult men that I was around spoke in secret code that I couldn’t fully understand. It was like I was listening to someone speak in a foreign language. I understood only bits and pieces here and there.

Mostly I was left with a with a large hole of mystery in my heart about manhood. I would lie awake in my bed at night and try to imagine what they meant by what they said. I wondered if I would ever understand well enough to navigate life.

My father was never that way. On long rides at night he would decode life for me and explain humanity and manhood to me in simple, clear, lucid terms that even a confused young boy could understand.

When we did chores or ran errands he patiently answered my questions without making me feel foolish for asking. Every boy should have a man in his life like that.

James, the brother of Jesus, said something like this: “If you have questions about life ask God. He is very generous with His answers and won’t rebuke you for asking.”