Old Barns

My pastor's message this morning reminded me of the posting I wanted to do concerning old barns and homesteads I saw in Idaho. As you can see, there were many literally falling down. Each one evoked in me a yearning to know the stories of the families who lived in them, even including the animals that were part of the barn and family life. Where did they come from? What did they eat? What games did they play when they could take a break from the hard work of survival? I could almost hear the games the children played and the simple clothing they wore as they ran outside. Certainly, each person had to do his part to stay alive in those terrains and weather systems.

Each weathered structure had seen much life under its roof. Yet, as the field flower, each was passing away at the end of its season. It reminded me:

You hem me in~~
behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:5-6

Our lives are not unlike the span of the old homesteads and barns. Our frames become strong as we grow into adults. We are wonderfully made; each uniquely created. Some of us are beginning to look a little weathered and perhaps not so steady on our feet. Perhaps our days on earth are limited. But we do not need to be anxious...God is, was, and always will be in control. We cannot add one day to our lives by worry.
~~~~~~~~~

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made
in the secret place.
When I was woven together
in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16