25 years ago Becky and I bought a farm in Virginia. Caught in an ascending spiral of activity -- requests for more talks, articles, books -- I rediscovered the importance of solitude, stillness, and isolation. I found the farm to be a perfect place to retreat and restore myself. The only demands on me are those I make on myself.
Of course, farm life isn't perfect. It is not a place to avoid problems but to praise the Lord in the midst of them. The work sometimes chafes. Repairs are incessant. At times you're locked in unceasing activity. Farmers aren't more spiritual or more virtuous or more joyful than anyone else. But everyone needs a lull in the battle, and the farm provides that for me. My return each day refreshes. In its stillness I see the real meaning of things, the solutions to my problems. The farm provides a meditative setting like no other. It opens up areas in my mind. Occasionally I see things for the first time. Here I discover how much effort I can put out, what I can endure, if I measure up.
There are as many reasons for farming as there are farmers. But mostly I farm because I am a person who craves daily renewal. So, too, are you. Find your own refuge, your own self-renewing space, and you will become the person you are meant to be.