Tribute to a Farmer

I have had trouble trying to figure out what to write as we lost a dear friend this week but know that even in our sorrow, God has shined through. He has provided people in our path over the years to confirm the choices we have made and helped to shape the life that we live now. Although our neighbors may see what we do and think we are crazy at times, they support our passion to bring our soil back to life while working to achieve a better balance with our young family.

This particular friend of ours lived a life on fire for God! He was never afraid to share his faith and had a huge heart open to welcome anyone in... even me, a silly city girl who had no idea what she was getting into when marrying a farmer 7 years ago. He showed us what it meant to work hard for what you have but also understood the importance of placing your family first. He loved to fellowship with others, share a meal (or a sugary snack!) and never met a stranger. These qualities, thankfully, have been passed down to his kids to carry forward. 

While thinking of the impression he left on us we cannot help but to also think of his wife. She is just as strong as he was, working the fields and running equipment while also also displaying the tender heart of a mother raising her children. She is mighty but also soft. She is smart and humble, never boasting the riches that God has laid upon them in life and family. 

Brandon and I think often of our legacy... what does that mean and what do we want it to look like. Well I think losing a friend helps to put it into perspective. Of course we want our kids to be good people and make good choices but what does that really mean? I think it means: to prioritize time with our families, always having open invitations at our table for others to join in fellowship, valuing other's work, raising our kids strong enough to tend to our cattle but gentle to comfort others and helping them to see the bond between us that one day they want the same with their own families. 

Losing someone is never easy but thank God for the lessons we learn from one another and for the promise that we will see each other again some day if we believe that Jesus is our one true Savior! 

In loving memory of our friend,

Nicole Mattison

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