Our family is beyond fortunate to be the owners of the Whetsel Farm which has been in our family for close to 100 years. Our parents, and before them our grandparents lived on and worked daily on this farm, which provided crops and livestock, plus a supplemental way of life for our families over the years. After the passing of our father, Joe E. Carter, in 1994 the Whetsel Farm went from being overseen by a family member to a property that was leased to others that might not have had as close of a connection to the preservation of the farm and the other aspects that make up a "farm". In particular, I'm talking about the barn. Now the barn on this property isn't just a typical barn, it's huge! A wide assortment of compartment rooms for handling livestock, a high ceiling loft equipped with a hay fork to move loose hay around for the feeding bins, and plenty of room for hanging tobacco or storing hay which I took part in as a lad. Over the past 25 years this barn has become the victim of neglect and disrepair due to a lack of attention and proper maintenance to the roof and exterior. Rafters have rotted, floor joists in decay, and in some areas the tin has been torn back from wind damage. All of this disarray has created a mammoth structure that to the eye of the beholder basically looks like a lost cause. Enter one Glen Kanipe.
Glen is my brother-in-law, whether he will own up to that or not is questionable at best, but nonetheless by law he can't deny me! Glen is by terms a "Jack of all trades" and amazes me with some of the projects he has completed, a great many of those by himself. Well Glen has taken an affinity to the farm and has spent the better part of the last three or four years working on the condition of the land by cleaning out fence rows, bush hogging the fields, basically revitalizing the Whetsel farm. During that span of time we have had numerous discussions about the future fate of the aforementioned barn. To the casual passerby, it would be a common comment of "what are you waiting on, when are you going to tear that monster down?" Yet Glen has repeatedly held firm to the idea that the barn could be saved and revert to its former state of being a viable asset to the overall farm. Over the last few months Glen made the decision to save the barn and has done nothing short of a miracle to steady the aching north wall, secure the corner post with the assistance of a remarkable carpenter, Richard Greene, and minimal assistance from one other guy that has ten thumbs, that was willing to help out over the recent Winter break. What has been accomplished is remarkable at the least and a vision for what the final outcome will look like is in clear sight. My mom & dad, grandfather & grandmother, and uncle, are looking down smiling.
So, what does that have to do with our FTM for today? Well, as I think about what has happened to our family barn over the years due to neglect or inattention, it brought to mind that this in many times is how we handle our relationships in life. Marriages, friendships, business relations, and of great importance our children or students can suffer this same breakdown if we fail to provide ample amounts of attention and care along life's journey. Of greater significance would be our relationship with our Creator. None of the relationships I have just listed will be "structurally fit" if we choose to ignore or neglect them. Just like the barn, the foundation of a relationship gets weak without focused time and proper maintenance being applied on a regular basis. For our relationships, that maintenance comes in the form of quality time and an investment in the other person. Taking the focus off of self and placing the needs of the person on the other side of a relationship is key to the stability of your relationships. I could go into each type of relationship whether it is friend, family, associate, or acquaintance, but each requires its own unique forms of attention and I will leave that to you to determine what relationships are falling into disarray and what you need to do to get the repair under way before it collapses from the weight and burden of extended neglect. The one relationship that all other relationships hinge on would be that of the one with your Maker. If we take time to worship, meditate, pray, and thank Him for all he has done, is doing, and still plans to do in our lives, we won't have to worry about all the other relationships we have in our lives we will do what is spelled out for us in His word. Spend time with God and He will be there with you regardless of what you are going through or what you are about to face. Do your maintenance daily in your relationships and live by the Golden Rule in all instances.
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
Thank you Glen Kanipe for your friendship and for all you have done for my family! I value our relationship.
Coach Carter
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