Grinding Hay Day at Neighbor Scott's

 "May I go with you?" I asked Jonathan when he was preparing to leave for Scott's ranch where Danny and the BHE work crew was building an equipment barn. Jonathan was only going to be there a few minutes . (I should have known better, and in fact, I did, but I wanted to go anyway.  It would be the perfect time for me to hop in and enjoy the ride through 20 minutes of prairie full of larks and sparrows and valleys golden with autumn trees.

When we arrived, we realized we'd gotten in on the one day a year when the ranch hired a hay grinder to grind hay for their cows for the winter. 

Here comes Scott in his big tractor full of huge hay bales that are going to be ground and shot onto the mountain of ground hay. The grabber machine unloads the bales (or perhaps the conveyor chains on the wagon do the unloading, and Scott takes off for another load of bales. 

Meanwhile here below is the machine with the monstrous red barrel in which the hay is ground, then dragged up the conveyor belt to the top of the mountain. 

Having the hay ground makes it easier for the cows to eat, especially the young ones. 

Sure enough, we were there probably at least an hour or more, because Jonathan spent quite some time trouble shooting a dryer that wasn't working, and other things, but it was a fascinating experience watching that hay grinder. And for quite a while Scott's son, who loves ranching as well, was explaining some of the process to me. I told him how much we enjoy having Scott attending church. 

"Yeah," he drawled, "I need to go to church!"

"Yes, you do!" I agreed. "You are welcome to come." I told him Jonathan was speaking this Sunday. 

And I couldn't help thinking that sometimes it feels as if we are going through a grinder machine! There is a point and a purpose, though, for being "ground."

"If the grinding process I am going through, Lord, makes it easier for one of your little ones, new believers, or otherwise to more easily digest the gospel and the Word of God,

if it aids my neighbor in understanding the things of God,

help me not to resent the hay grinder!

Just make sure I stay submitted to Your process!"

And even if we feel like the hay grinder happens to us because of our own fault, it is good to be reminded of what this sign said in a town Jonathan and I went through recently. 

"Every sunrise is God's reminder we get to try again."