What's the Lesson?

by Michele Boy | July 10, 2025

It’s mid July. Our family’s wheat harvest ended before the rain came in. We had some hail on our corn but overall there is much to be thankful for. 
This summer has flown by! I feel like school is just around the corner. We are busy preparing for the county fair. I didn’t grow up around county fairs but learning the ins and outs of it, it has unique rewards and challenges every year. For someone who grew up a commitmentphobe, afraid sticking with something was boring, I see repetition doesn’t always mean same old same old. There is always something new, always something to learn, and always new challenges. 
In the end, 4-H and the fair has made us grow as a family. I am very grateful to those who put their heart into helping our kids. 
There is an old saying - take what you like and leave the rest. It doesn’t mean leaving every uncomfortable situation. It does mean taking a look at how you can grow from it. 
I mentioned before I have been reading a chapter of the Bible daily lately. I’m not rushing, just taking my time trying to glean what I can. 
Many people will argue the Bible is literal. Others say a lot of the stories are parables. I’m not arguing any of it. I just want to learn what is applicable to me today, what will help me grow as a person, and how I may help others. 
In this wild crazy world today, I find a lot of comfort in these stories that say the world is much the same as it was in biblical times. 
I got to the story of Jacob and Esau. I was tempted to breeze through it because I have read it and heard it  before. 
But like always, God proves me wrong. As I read the story, I saw it from a father’s perspective of how Rebekah told her son to trick their father. I saw a mother’s favoritism. I saw discord between the mother and father. And later the mother had created all these problems she had to try to fix. 
At the end of the chapter Rebekah had already decided she would despise her daughter in law if she came from the Hittites. 
I find it interesting. A story I have read many times took on a new meaning when I saw it from another’s perspective. 
How often do we try to fix situations on our own? How often do we make things worse? And when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. 
What can I takeaway from this? It’s a good reminder to let God be in control, to try to keep open communication in my marriage. 
A funny story, when my husband and I were first dating, he said if you have a problem you are going to have to tell me. You can’t keep it to yourself. I burst out laughing saying you will regret those words. I don’t know how to keep quiet. 
After all these years, and annoying as it is, he agrees that talking things out helps our marriage. 
 What is today going to teach you? Are you open and ready for the lesson?