Signs From Above

I am a true believer in the idea that God sends us messages. I am also very confident that many times I do not get the message even when it is obvious. However, there are times when even someone as clueless as I am gets the message. Today was one of those days.

We are still planting soybeans and while we are not late getting them in the ground, time is becoming an issue. Rain has caused us many delays and the forecast was for more rain in the upcoming week. We had finally gotten back into the field and we were pushing hard. Two more days and all the crop would be in the ground.

I woke up this morning and watched the weather. The chance of rain was diminished and we should be good until later in the afternoon or even that night. We could be down to just a few acres if we got a good solid day of planting in. I was focused on spending the day out in the field putting in more acres of beans.

The state FFA Convention was starting that same morning and Tatum was getting ready. At breakfast, she reminded me that I could attend the awards ceremony in the evening. Please allow me a proud Dad moment. Tatum’s Rock Creek FFA livestock judging team won the state contest. An accomplishment that makes an old livestock judger and coach like me very, very proud. In any case, her team was being recognized and she really wanted me to be at the ceremony.

I wanted to be there just as bad but it was planting time and the farm must come first even if it means missing important things. I finished chores, looked up at the sky and it had just a few wispy clouds but nothing threatening. When I got to Dad’s he had decided to start with a five-acre field so we would not get caught in a bigger field when the rain came. I laughed at him and told him the forecast said no rain until evening. He pointed to the western horizon and told me he thought it was going to rain.

I helped him service the planter and the tractor and filled it with just enough seed to plant five acres and I went into town on a parts run, all the while wondering why he was so worried about the rain when clearly it was not supposed too. I pulled up to the intersection to get on the highway and looked west and sure enough dark clouds were on the western horizon.

Being the modern farmer, I whipped out my smart phone and checked the radar. A thunderstorm had popped up around Manhattan but it appeared to be headed straight south. It should miss us but just barely. Talk about good luck. I went on into town and sat at the parts counter while the long list I had brought in got filled. Just for fun I checked my radar. The storm had spread out a little bit but still was south and west of our farm.

Parts in hand I started back out to where Dad was planting. When I turned west I thought to myself that it sure had gotten darker and looked kind of ominous. When I got to the field I checked and it still looked like it was going to miss us but it was going to be closer than I thought. However, there was blue sky to the North. We were safe.

I checked in with Dad and he told me he was going to keep planting. He did not want to get rained out. I explained to him that it was not going to but he told me he was going to keep going and we would put the part on in the shop while it was raining. I made the two-mile trip back to his house and the shop to unload and wait for him. As I pulled into the driveway Tatum texted me to see if I was coming. I reported back to her that it was still dry and we were still planting. That is when I heard the thunder.

A small black thunderhead had built up right over our farm and proceeded to dump enough rain in about fifteen minutes to wipe out the day. Just then Dad pulled in and parked the tractor in the shed and asked me to check my radar again.

Three things occurred to me. First, being at the awards ceremony for my daughter was probably one of the most important things I could do. We were not behind and life would go on and this was the only time I would ever get to see her be recognized as being on a state champion livestock judging team. Second, I realized that maybe Dad was a little more in tune with the weather than my so called smart phone and forecaster. Finally, the light came on and I realized that God sends subtle messages at first but for us dense ones he will call down the thunder and lightning.