Some days are just dirt days.

I conducted the funeral for a 92 year old man yesterday. It was a very interesting funeral because the man had written a history of his life several years ago to pass on to his family. It was written in very simple language with very simple thoughts. His three children read the history for him. He related the key events in his life. They were simple events that are typical of many lives. He told of the cost of land in the 1920's and how his father bought a quarter section of land for $2800.00 in 1928. Just after his father purchased the land the price of wheat went from over $1.00 a bushel to $0.24 a bushel. He told about the hungry 30's when his mother sold eggs for 2.5 to 3 cents a dozen and how she had to sell a heifer cow for $12.00 just to be able to get food on the table. His father passed away in 1930 and his mother in 1932 and he was left to care for his younger siblings at the age of 17, and he had to run the farm because his older siblings had all left home. He met a beautiful young woman and walked three miles every weekend to see her for three years. He had to go to her father and ask for permission to marry her. They were married and had a beautiful little boy named Marshall. Tragedy struck and the baby died at the age of 4 months from pneumonia. They carried on in the face of the tragedy and ended up with three children. When he was 32 years old he decided that he needed to find a way to get more money so he went to barber school. He was a barber for many years and turned it into a calling that he carried out until the age of 74. There were many other things in his life, however, the important thing was that he met the difficulties of life with courage and strength. He didn't expect to much and gave all that he could. He was a simple man with simple needs. He appreciated everything that God had given him.

I wonder how many of us truly are appreciative of the many blessings that are ours today. the luxuries we have. He told of harrowing the fields all day long with a team of four horses and walking behind the horses with his shoes full of dirt. Are you willing to continue even when your shoes are full of dirt. Some days are just dirt days.