The Light from the Kitchen Window

January 11, 2021 Dear Emily, When I was a child and living on the farm where you live now, the farm was a “working” farm. We had all kinds of animals: sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, beef cows and, of course, the pets – cats and dogs. In the summer, the fields were full of alfalfa hay to be cut, baled, hauled to the barn, and stock piled as winter forage for the animals. The bales were the smaller “square” bales (that weren’t actually square) and easy to handle, even for a child. As a nine- or ten-year-old, I could pick up a bale by one twine that held the hay blocks together, put my knee is the center of the side and “bust the bale.” Covering the barn floor and stacked to the barn ceiling, the hay made a fabulous playground for a farm child to play. Who needed a park with a playground when the barn offered places to hide, climb, and jump? Plus, we could swing from the rope hanging from the ceiling. In the winter, the barn was also used to feed and shelter the animals at night. The sheep were penned on the north side of the barn where there were feeding troughs for grain. The barn floor was littered with straw for bedding. The south side of the barn was used to feed the cows. There was no door on that side – the cows could come and go as they pleased. When Daddy was at home, he did the feeding. He loved the farm work, but his health prevented him from taking a more active role as a farmer. On the nights he traveled and had to be away from home, the responsibility of feeding the animals fell to Jody and me. Oddly enough, I don’t remember that we went to the barn to feed together – we took turns doing it alone. I never minded when it was my turn although I would sometimes procrastinate and get a late start on my job. Cows are fairly smart. They know when it’s feeding time and will slowly plod their way to the barn. Sheep are another story. Sheep are the dumbest animals alive in my opinion. On the coldest winter afternoon at feeding time, the sheep would still be grazing on the back side of the field. Sheep don’t respond to a whistle or a call like cows, pigs, and horses, so I had to go “get” the sheep and herd them to the barn. They always acted like they didn’t even know what direction to go! They would scatter every which way. Fortunately, we always had a good sheep dog to help. Many afternoons, after I had been a little slow in starting after the sheep, then herding them, feeding both the sheep and cows, and playing for a while in the barn, I would realize that daylight had disappeared into deep twilight, and I was really cold. It was time to head to the house, but the house was over a football field away from the barn, and I had an active imagination! It was going to be a dark and spooky walk; however, from the barn, I could see the golden light from the double kitchen windows spilling into the yard. I knew that the light meant that Mama was in the kitchen cooking supper, and that the wood heater had the rooms cozy. Security, food, warmth. All I had to do was to focus on the light and start walking to get safely back to the house. That light on a dark afternoon is one of my favorite childhood memories. We have just celebrated the Christmas season – the Season of Light because the Bible tells us Jesus is the light of the world. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness…” (John 1: 4 & 5 NISB). As you get older, unfortunately, you will face times of darkness in your life: disappointment, doubt, and pain are all part of life. And the darkness can be sneaky. Like my late afternoons in the barn, you may find yourself in a dark, cold place without even seeing the dark coming. That’s when you start moving. Moving toward the Light. Jesus is there waiting for you with security for your heart, food for your soul, and warmth for your spirit. Let the Light be your guide. He will safely lead you back home. Love, BB