There is an intense joy in realizing the fruit of your labor. Whether it is solving a problem, fixing something, completing a project, helping people, or standing in a pasture that you've labored to plant- the intrinsic reward to this work is wonderful.
I am honored to have learned much while working with my international friends.
During one business trip dinner some years ago, one of my Indian coworkers shared something that will stick with me. I was busily eating my dinner, and my friend says with all seriousness, "Scott, slow down. This is what we work for, enjoy it. " He was right. Too often I don't enjoy my food.
During my business trip meals in Japan, I was struck with the respect that is provided to animals that we eat for food. It's a different kind of respect than my culture and beliefs-- but there is something to learn. There is a very real sense in Japan that there is loss associated with eating meat. There is a thanksgiving for the life that is given so that we can eat.
Now, these years later, we are raising our own food. These two lessons I learned from my colleagues have much more meaning. One of the things we have learned while working on a farm is truly how hard it is to raise our own food. Vegetables, fruit, eggs, meat, milk, honey- it all takes work.
We are truly so much more thankful when we eat our eggs for breakfast, or when we enjoy our honey. We stop to think- because of the work that we put into it, but also because God has allowed us the opportunity to work to grow it. There are so many factors outside of our control, such as weather, which, despite our work, need to happen just right for a good harvest.
And, we definitely honor the lives of the animals that have grown up on our farm. We end up eating a significantly less amount of meat, eating vegetarian meals almost half the week. We eat better meat, and we eat less of it. It's a win-win.
We have been blessed to be able to work and provide pasture raised meat and eggs for our family. It is amazing. We are thankful through our business to provide this to you, and hope that you can also appreciate all that went into it.
One of the Sabbath prayers that I pray weekly for my wife is that she can enjoy the fruit of her labor. It isn't a given that we can enjoy this. Enjoying the fruit of labor is truly a gift from God. My wife works a lot. She puts in so much time for our kids, for me, for her friends, for our farm and animals. My repeated prayer is that she can enjoy the result of this labor.
Our prayer also is that we can labor and bear fruit that is eternal. This, indeed, is only labor that can be possible with God’s help. Just like we’ve seen, we cannot raise even a plant without God’s help- we know that our frail selves are unable to work for His kingdom. For this and many other reasons we cry out “Hoshiana!”
And then, there's also real actual fruit - which is pretty great as well :)
Gret thoughts! Harlan