by Cheryl Schuermann
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:9-10 ESV).
When this city girl married a boy from rural Oklahoma more than fifty years ago, I never realized how I would come to love the country experience. Don’t get me wrong—I did not embrace every encounter. Take bugs. I am not a fan though I have come to appreciate their creativity and marvel at their ability to find the tiniest avenue into the farmhouse.
Soon after Stan and I married in the early 1970s, his parents bought the land we affectionately call The Farm. While the surrounding acreages are conducive to crops, the Schuermann land is unique with flowering meadows, deep rocky ravines, and a twenty-three-acre lake. The lake is magical with the best crappie and bass fishing in the area. One hundred fifty-five acres of playground.
My in-laws had a vision for their sons and grandchildren. They wanted the family to love the outdoors and discover God’s created glory. Wherever their descendants lived in the years to come, they would always have this place to visit and enjoy.
Our four boys were rooted and grounded on this land. They first experienced The Farm as babies snuggled against our chests or riding in a carrier on our backs. When they grew older, they explored, fished, built forts, and camped overnight—either in a tent or zipped into a sleeping bag in the bed of Grandpa’s pickup truck. From a young age, our sons knew this was a special place and a heritage to treasure. In 2016, a long-time dream was realized when we built a turn-of-the-twentieth-century style farmhouse, large enough to accommodate our many gatherings.
The ordinary can be easily overlooked in our world today. When images of the latest, greatest, and shiniest grab our attention, the simple and the everyday can seem uninteresting. Common. But God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us all things to enjoy and pronounced what He created to be special. He gave us our senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and the ability to touch and feel. All our earthly blessings should point to Him.
We love many things about The Farm, and one is how we are so easily entertained here. During the day, we often take a break from the chores, grab a cool drink, and rock in the chairs on the farmhouse porch. Always lots of birds to observe and enjoy from the tiniest hummingbird to the majestic eagle. Though we do see an occasional bald eagle, many of the big birds circling above us are vultures. I’m learning to enjoy them, too. Catching the wind currents, they float in the sky like skillful hang gliders.
A walk outdoors opens abundant opportunities for adventure, fun, and discovery. Even a simple hike to the horse corral to give Jazz a couple of apples delights and satisfies. The grandchildren often return to the house with treasures they find in the woods, emptying their pockets of animal bones and teeth and proceeding to sort them. Rib bones, leg bones, and an occasional skull from a turtle, deer, or bobcat. Even as young children, they see order and want to understand how things fit together. They know God created a discoverable, orderly world and designed each animal with intent.
My writing journey began many years after first setting foot on this land. From the millions of stars on a moonless night to sunset displays over the lake to the cedar waxwings rejoicing in the drops of water from the lawn sprinkler, God opened my eyes and taught me of His mercies. This land and the urging of the Holy Spirit inspired a season of thanksgiving, worship, and resting in His care.
While building the farmhouse, my husband and I spent many months restoring century-old doors, antique washstands, and dozens of tarnished doorknobs, hinges, and escutcheons. These items, destined for the dump, were given new life according to their design, reinforcing our farmhouse motto: Redeem…Restore…Repurpose. Isn’t this what God does with those who come to Him?
Sixty devotions in Farmhouse Devotions: God’s Glory in the Ordinary take the reader to a place of rest and reflection where they can meditate on God’s Word. Original artwork and family recipes add to the enjoyment of this devotional. I invite readers to join me as we explore themes of grace, redemption, and restoration. Together, we will embrace God’s storehouse of blessings and draw closer to Jesus.
What we deem ordinary may be extraordinary, after all.
A career educator, author Cheryl Schuermann is a Word Weavers President and member of AWSA and CAN/CIPA. Her debut devotional, Farmhouse Devotions: God’s Glory in the Ordinary, was recently named the AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Devotional Book of the Year. Cheryl and her husband enjoy living near their family in Oklahoma and spending time at The Farm. To learn more, visit www.cherylschuermann.com.
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