Amish or English It Doesn't Matter It's the Life Lived That Matters
I've been thinking a lot about the Amish.
It seems there are two main ways the average person sees them.
One is they think they are saints. They admire their simple lifestyles and think they would never do wrong.
Then there are those who don't like them at all. They see them as old fashioned and repressive. They think they are uneducated and take advantage of the blessings of this country without giving back in military service or votes or even that they might be taxed differently or in some cases not at all.
I don't hold to either one of those ways of thinking.
I have seen an Amish steal at an auction, my grandparents auction. I've seen one drunk and heard them curse.
I have also seen them be there to help at a moments notice. I've seen them give all they have. I've watched as they take care of one another and those who aren't theirs.
I've talked to ones that love their way of life and I've heard a few say if they could leave they would.
You see, what I'm saying is, it isn't about being Amish, it's about being human.
No sect or religion can make it's people each one do right, think just alike and be perfect.
It is true though that a more simpler lifestyle often leads to calmer more stable lives. It's not a guarantee but it's a help.
Mark passed a little boy driving a team of work horses over to where the new barn is being built. He stopped the truck before he got to him so the dust would settle and the little boy wouldn't be engulfed in gravel dust.
He went on to tell me when they passed each other they spoke a greeting and that's when he noticed the little boy's big, bright, blue eyes and that he handled the team like a man. The boy nodded, smiled, spoke and moved on to where his father was waiting for him.
One thing I will say is that the Amish haven't forgot to be about the business of teaching their children to be men and women.
That's a lesson I think most of us could revisit.
It's not our job to see that our children have everything easy or don't have to shoulder responsibility.
Actually it's just the opposite, we need to show them how to bear up under hardship and how to do their part.
Every parent admires a child with grit and work ethic and respect but we have to be willing to make them uncomfortable sometimes if they are going to learn that. We've got to grow up and be willing to do the hard things if we expect them grow up and learn it.
It's been a rough two weeks in the Lost River Amish community.
One families barn burned leaving them pressed and struggling for winter hay.
One young husband and father was tragically killed in a sawmill accident
And our dear sweet neighbor and mother of ten has only a few days left now. She is dying of stomach cancer.
Life is hard sometimes.
An older lady once told me, "Honey, even a good life is a hard life."
How true that seems.
The Amish are known for being there when help is needed but a lot of the English are too.
I guess what I'm saying is Amish or English it's beside the point, it's your life that matters.
Live your life like the people that you read about and admire. Have some grit and then get out there and be a good neighbor, be honorable, have some class and respect for yourself and others.
The world will be a better place, better one person at a time if we'll all just do this,
Amish or English makes no difference, it's not the point.
The point is to work hard and love well, but this idea isn't my idea.
It comes from someone much wiser than me.
Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12;10)
We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this not because we do not have the right to such help,(since they were preaching or working for God) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you we gave this rule, "The one who is unwilling to work, shall not eat. 2Thessalonians 3:7-10
Work hard and love well.
Amish or English it doesn't matter, it's the life lived that matters.
It seems there are two main ways the average person sees them.
One is they think they are saints. They admire their simple lifestyles and think they would never do wrong.
Then there are those who don't like them at all. They see them as old fashioned and repressive. They think they are uneducated and take advantage of the blessings of this country without giving back in military service or votes or even that they might be taxed differently or in some cases not at all.
I don't hold to either one of those ways of thinking.
I have seen an Amish steal at an auction, my grandparents auction. I've seen one drunk and heard them curse.
I have also seen them be there to help at a moments notice. I've seen them give all they have. I've watched as they take care of one another and those who aren't theirs.
I've talked to ones that love their way of life and I've heard a few say if they could leave they would.
You see, what I'm saying is, it isn't about being Amish, it's about being human.
No sect or religion can make it's people each one do right, think just alike and be perfect.
It is true though that a more simpler lifestyle often leads to calmer more stable lives. It's not a guarantee but it's a help.
Mark passed a little boy driving a team of work horses over to where the new barn is being built. He stopped the truck before he got to him so the dust would settle and the little boy wouldn't be engulfed in gravel dust.
He went on to tell me when they passed each other they spoke a greeting and that's when he noticed the little boy's big, bright, blue eyes and that he handled the team like a man. The boy nodded, smiled, spoke and moved on to where his father was waiting for him.
One thing I will say is that the Amish haven't forgot to be about the business of teaching their children to be men and women.
That's a lesson I think most of us could revisit.
It's not our job to see that our children have everything easy or don't have to shoulder responsibility.
Actually it's just the opposite, we need to show them how to bear up under hardship and how to do their part.
Every parent admires a child with grit and work ethic and respect but we have to be willing to make them uncomfortable sometimes if they are going to learn that. We've got to grow up and be willing to do the hard things if we expect them grow up and learn it.
It's been a rough two weeks in the Lost River Amish community.
One families barn burned leaving them pressed and struggling for winter hay.
One young husband and father was tragically killed in a sawmill accident
And our dear sweet neighbor and mother of ten has only a few days left now. She is dying of stomach cancer.
Life is hard sometimes.
An older lady once told me, "Honey, even a good life is a hard life."
How true that seems.
The Amish are known for being there when help is needed but a lot of the English are too.
I guess what I'm saying is Amish or English it's beside the point, it's your life that matters.
Live your life like the people that you read about and admire. Have some grit and then get out there and be a good neighbor, be honorable, have some class and respect for yourself and others.
The world will be a better place, better one person at a time if we'll all just do this,
Amish or English makes no difference, it's not the point.
The point is to work hard and love well, but this idea isn't my idea.
It comes from someone much wiser than me.
Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12;10)
We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this not because we do not have the right to such help,(since they were preaching or working for God) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you we gave this rule, "The one who is unwilling to work, shall not eat. 2Thessalonians 3:7-10
Work hard and love well.
Amish or English it doesn't matter, it's the life lived that matters.
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