Thursday, June 18, 2009

~God's Special Touch, Piece of Americana~

...Old Barns...


A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway.
I told him right off he was crazy.
He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his car,
his hands, and the way he talked.
He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn
sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale.
I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's
been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind.
The summer sun's beat down on that old barn till all
the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray.
Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired.
Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.

That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there,
gazing at that old barn.
The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls
of his den in a new country home he's building down the road.
He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful.

Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and
scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.
It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I.
Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us.
Sure we turn silver gray too, and lean a bit more than
we did when we were young and full of sap.

But the Good Lord knows what He's doing.
And as the years pass He's busy using the hard weather of our lives,
the dry spells and the stormy seasons to do a job of beautifying
our souls that nothing else can produce.
And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!

They took the old barn down today and hauled it away
to beautify a rich man's house.

And I reckon someday you and I will be hauled off
to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord
has for us on the Great Sky Ranch.
And I suspect we'll be more beautiful then for the seasons
we've been through here,

And just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father's house.
May there be peace within you today.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be..
And I do sincerely thank God for my wonderful friends and family,
who care about me even though I show signs of weathering!

(TY Micki for sharing this)







21 comments:

  1. Hi Marydon
    I loved this post. Your wise words about aging and beauty are so true. I know God has shaped me into the woman I am today through all the things he has allowed to happen in my life.
    Hope you enjoy today.
    ((hugs) Rhondi

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  2. Beautifully written, MD! I suppose that little saying about "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is true. Too often we pass by the broken down and neglected without realizing it very well may be the diamond in the rough...

    Blessings to you sweet friend. Well written and thought-provoking post!

    xoRebecca

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  3. A wonderful post. Things to remember and ponder.
    Smiles,
    June

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  4. Such a great post. I'm grateful for the "weathering" I've experienced in my life and for the wisdom of the Lord. If the man ever offers you the chance to see your old barn wood on his walls, share it with us!

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  5. What an inspiring post Marydon! Loved the analogy. Blessings to you today~

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  6. Blessings to you!
    Americana delight.
    This is a neat story.
    Hope you'll drop by for a spot of virtual tea this afternoon.
    God Bless,
    ~D~

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  7. This is a very beautiful post.
    Hugs,
    Lee Laurie

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  8. Wow, what a beautiful post! Thank you! Winona

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  9. It really is a lovely story.
    Micki

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  10. Your posts are always inspiring and thought provoking, I love my visits. Hope you're having a beautiful day.
    ♥ Teresa

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  11. Dear Marydon,

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful post. What a great analogy full of so much truth. Very encouraging. I love the picture of the barn sitting on a hill with a rainbow over it, lovely.

    Also, thank you for your encouraging words about my getting back on track. They are very much appreciated.

    Blessings,
    Mrs. Teapot

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  12. I just posted this same thing on my blog & decided to read your blog and there it was! Thats so funny how we think alike! Thanks for all your kind comments!

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  13. Beautiful post. How true that we all weather differently, but all according to God's plan.

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  14. Oh How I am going to love your blog!
    I adore old sheds and barns!!!
    Will be sure to pop back and read more soon...
    Was nice to see you had visited my little blog too:)

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  15. This is such lovely post and very meaningful. I've never thought of aging in this respect but I loved reading these wonderful words....they gave me a better understanding and made me more thankful of the here and now...hugs, Linda

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  16. Hi Marydon,
    What a beautiful post you have shared! I love barns whether they are old or new; I must have inherited that from my father. I wonder about old barns, and old houses too. There was once life in those buildings and they each have a story to tell. Thank you for sharing and thank you for visiting my blog too.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  17. Hi Sweet Friend, Oh I love your wonderful post. So full of heartfelt truth! You have captured what aging and growing older is all about. To see the beauty in the barn, worn out, old and run down, coming from a place that once was and giving new life, is so special.

    Blessings to you MaryDon~~
    Hugs, Celestina Marie

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  18. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" Lovely post...I love old barns and what stories they could tell..
    Julia ♥

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  19. Beautiful! I do hope that he will send you a picture of the paneled room too.

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  20. That was a beautiful and moving post. your pictures were gorgeous too. I just love old barns and feedsack fabric too. I have a bit of a stash that I have picked up here and there. You have a lovely blog. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here.
    Debbie

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  21. Now I think old barns and old sheds for that matter are beautiful and I love your analogy about us weathering too, and maybe improving with age. Another lovely post.

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