The closest thing to flying
Do you ever just want to do nothing? Can you really DO nothing? Doesn’t the word “do” negate the word, “nothing”? I have an idea for you to try. It’s a great summer activity of doing nothing and you just might like it!
I’m going to call it, “the ultimate introverts hangout”! Aka, hammocking. Doing something together, by yourself. There’s nothing quite like the idea of all getting together so you can hang in trees in such a way where you are no longer together. Some might call it the perfect arrangement.
I know you’ve seen those droopy sacks hanging here and there in trees from Riverside Park or your local campground, to your neighbor’s yard. They can seem rather like a waste of time and they will often hang as wind sails well into the snowy season yelling out like Pooh Bear; “It’s a rather blustery day!” as they strain against the wind. All that aside, the few times I have done it, I have found swaying in a hammock to be a very relaxing and enjoyable pastime. I think it’s the closest you can come to the feeling of flying without actually flying. There’s a wonderful weightless feeling as you are cradled and rocked back and forth, gazing skyward. For all you know, there might as well be nothing below you.
As a farmer, usually just when I might have a chance to “do nothing”, a cow will decide it needs something and it will bellow out a plea to be saved from the next chapter they are writing in the book called “New and Creative Ways of Getting Stuck” by the four-legged lumbering giants.
If you have a little extra time and boredom in your life, maybe you need a cow. Or to be honest, hammocking is quite a bit less time and commitment. Take it from a farmer, you probably don’t want a cow, as it will try to take over your life. We clearly see the principle in the story of the camel and his chilly nose that ends with the moral: “It is a wise rule to resist the beginnings of evil.” Find someone else’s cow to enjoy or you may never have the chance to enjoy the thrill of doing nothing.
I’ll admit — this need for chilling really isn’t for everyone. There are those lounging around playing Call of Duty when they should be taking up a different call TO duty by getting busy. But many of us might need a little call to the carpet from Corrie ten Boom who said, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect — they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.” Busyness has a way of keeping us from what God wants in our life. After all, God instituted a day of rest as he drew the intricate lines of creation, established the times of days, and laid out the seasons for His glory and our enjoyment.
I remember one Father’s Day after a long, arduous first crop of hay when I put up a hammock and just floated in it with my kids, gazing up into the treetops. It was a great way to connect with my kids again, as haying has a way of taking all that I have. Hammocking might be a great prescription for you if you need a little rejuvenation.
Last week, my wife was having a bit of a raucous day and my solution was to get her a good hammocking session. I’ll testify, she came out of her time of floating a different lady than the one who went in!
Pro tip from this husband: climb in with your wife and the cuddling is inevitable!
Meet your farmer – Jonathan Gerdes. He and his wife run a farm-to-table raw milk dairy in Caledonia, Minn. If he isn’t in the barn, you can find him dating his wife, playing with his kids, leading youth group, or flying in the sky. Visit gerdesfreshfarm.com for more info.
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