Bales Of Hay

I was on my way down to visit my mom and take her grocery shopping. 

As I was driving in one of the 5 lanes of 1-15 I noticed a semi-truck in front of me loaded with hay bales.  And there was a lot of them. 

Immediately, I started counting height and length and then quickly did the math in my head.  A small miracle for me if you know me and math.

There were at least 48-50 bales of hay.  And they weren’t little.  These were those HUGE rolls you see in the fields as you drive down south on your way to St. George or north into Idaho.  It was a heavy load.

I got thinking about how many animals that hay would feed.  A lot.  Or just a few for a VERY long time! 

The farm animals (and the farmers who take care of them) depend on this hay for food when winter comes.  They also use it when animals can’t get out to graze in the open fields.  It’s life.

Then I got thinking….what are my hay bales?  Metaphorically speaking?  What feeds me spiritually, emotionally, mentally? 

For one, regular quiet time.  I call it white space.  I NEED white space in my life.  I need time that isn’t scheduled and accounted for.  Quiet time opens me up to creativity.  Quiet time opens me up to inspiration.  It helps me connect with God.  White space rejuvenates me.  It’s air. 

And it’s food.  

Another hay bale is being in nature.  Which usually comes in the form of hiking. 

For me, there is nothing like the smell and the feel of good clean air when I’m hiking or just out in nature.  Even my backyard can be a bale of hay to me.  Because I love being outside, I have made my yard a hay bale.  I believe it’s a hay bale because all nature is a witness of its creator. 

Yoga is a hay bale.  I love stretching and working muscles while at the same time being kind to my body.

Reading a good book can definitely be a hay bale.  Instead of muscles, I am stretching my brain and thoughts. 

I have many other bales of hay that ‘feed’ me. 

As I write these words about being fed and finding rejuvenation, I find it ironic and the subject very timely considering the events in the world the last two days. 

I didn’t plan it this way.

This was just the subject for my next post.

 Can I just say that God is a God of ‘no coincidences’?