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Back in the late 60s (no, that's not the 1860s) I worked one summer for a local farmer. Jim Paisley owned a lot of acreage in Fayette County in several different locations on both side of I-71 south of my home town of Jeffersonville, Ohio. When I first started working for him was on weekends in the spring. He put me to work cutting ground in preparation for planting. My Saturdays were spent bouncing around on a tractor for about eight hours. It was fun and not exactly the most taxing thing I had ever done. I enjoyed it.

When summer came I was off the tractor and at Mr. Paisley's home farm working in his dairy. I became familiar with his cattle very quickly. Each cow had their own characteristics when it came time to milk. I knew which ones would enter the stalls first, which ones would saunter in at their leisure and which ones would have to be encouraged to finally put in their appearance for milking. I knew which ones I could quickly hook up to the milking machines and which ones were just a little afraid of the machines and had to be gently handled.

I remember how cool it was to watch the milk being carried through the lines to the main tank for cooling. To a teenager it was kinda neat. Now, to a slightly jaded adult, I realize it was simply the function of technology working properly. The one part of the job that was slightly distasteful was that of cleaning the stalls after all the cows had been milked. There were almost forty, if I remember right, so it took a little time to get them all through the stalls. Once they were gone I grabbed a rather large heavy metal scoop shovel and began removing the inevitable feces that were always left from those stately ladies relaxing while they were milked.

Once the milking and cleanup were completed Mr. Paisley would have me go back inside the dairy and I would get my reward. What was my reward? A cup of ice cold whole milk. I am thoroughly convinced that whole milk is one of life's great pleasures. Those of you who buy milk in the carton or jug really need to go visit a dairy some time and beg for the opportunity to experience a nice big swig of ice cold whole milk. You will realize what God intended milk to taste like before moderization stepped in and decided that such was too rich for our tender systems. Amazingly, many of the nutrients found in whole milk are re-introduced through vitamin supplements. It gives us pause to think that if we had lived life the way God had intended, perhaps whole milk would still be an acceptable staple of our diets.

When man modifies what God has placed in motion things become impossible because God is moved out of the equation. Following His encounter with the rich, young ruler, Jesus' disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:(16-24)25,26 Our churches sit mostly half empty. Our pews and seats are not full as we have taken the cream out of God's milk to make it more palatable for modern man. Only when the richness of the truth of salvation is being served to the lost will salvation become a possibility for them. It is time for us to share that which we ourselves have drunk; the fullness of the glory of our Christ which makes the impossible, possible.

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

If/Then: Working with God