Playing in the Haymow...What Fun!

December 17, 2023
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Oh, the smell of it.  Something hard to describe other than a mixture of cow-poo and fresh cut hay, as I climb the ladder up into the haymow.  If you are a city slicker, a haymow is the storage area in the upper part of a barn where hay is stacked and stored.
 
My job was to climb up into the haymow and throw down the chute, a few bales of hay for the cows to eat as Dad milked them.  A haymow, with all its crevices, is better than any bouncy house.  Roll down the bales stacked in stair step fashion and never get a bruise.  Swing on the rope from one mountain top to the next.  Look for hidden treasures in the quiet.  Do I hear the meows of little kittens?  Found you!  But tomorrow you will be gone.  Somehow momma cat knows they’ve been discovered and moves them to a new hiding place.  Tomorrow the hunt will begin anew.  Yes, the haymow brings back precious memories!
 
Don’t forget about the pigeons roosting in the rafters.  If you’re quiet, you can catch one.  The white ones were the prize.
 
Jesus was born in a cattle stall because there was no room in the Inn.  The animals that bowed low before Him who lay in the manger, kept Him warm.  Such a humble start to life for a King.
 
But you know what?  As a boy, Jesus would have had just as much fun in the haymow as I—jumping, falling, rolling, laughing.  Yes, I am certain of it, Jesus laughed and loved life, just like you and me.
 
I wonder, if He were playing with me in the haymow, if I would have needed that rope to swing from here to over there?  Jesus could have just floated me over the deep divide.
 
Never forget, Jesus was a Baby, a Boy, and then a Man.  He felt all the emotions we feel—fun, laughter, sorrow, tears, joy, and pain.  Oh, the pain on the cross for all of us.
 
Come, Lord Jesus—walk with me now.  Even if You are silent, I know you are with me every step of the way!
 
Call upon the name of the Lord!
 
Pastor Allan
 
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