A Yarn from the Road

On By The Quiet RoarerIn Uncategorized

“Come up to the homestead anytime,” the farmer wife told us when we checked in to camp for two nights at this 78,000 acre cattle station in outback Queensland.

So we did.

The old man we met (her father) was no longer able to do a lot on the farm due to failing eyesight, but his former strength and vitality was still evident in his large rugged frame. His weather worn features were evidence of his time on the land. He had the job of talking to interested campers about the property, so he was up for a good old yarn as he shared a cuppa with us on the verandah. 

He started by telling us about The Tech Guy who camped here for a month.

“He was a bloody genius ya know,” said old man farmer. “Installed us a solar powered trough monitoring system.”

Now all old man farmer had to do was go to the app on his iPad, and he could read the trough water levels remotely. “That bloke saved me a fortune in diesel, he did,” continued old man farmer.

Conversation rolled on. My husband grew up on a 3,000 acre wheat and sheep station, just a smidgeon compared to the size of this property, but he was able to form a genuine and instant connect with this old cattle farmer.

Now old man farmer was telling us about how his dad bought the place in 1965, and how his dad had been on his horse in the middle of the back paddock when he had a heart attack and dropped dead at the age of 65.

“He could still be hanging around, you know,” says the old farmer. “When the kids were young tykes they were playing just over there, and my missus noticed they were talking to someone, but she couldn’t see nobody.” So my missus says to them, “Who you talking to?”

“The man on the horse,” the kids say.

“There’s no man on a horse,” my wife replied. “Well, those kids insisted there was a man there on a white horse in a white cowboy hat. I reckon it was my Dad come back to say hi, but only the kids could see him.”

“The spiritual is certainly very real,” my husband responded.

“Sure is,” agreed old farmer and he begins telling us about his trips to India, where he visited a spiritual healer whose hands were like hot irons, and how he thinks God is in everything, and people can reincarnate, but if everyone just obeys “them ten laws” we all get to go “up there,” (he points)…”to a better place.”

While I’m sitting there mutely trying to muster my thoughts on how to reply to this old farmer’s menagerie of mixed beliefs, my husband graciously and almost effortlessly (it seems to me), steers the conversation toward the gospel.

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Col 4:6

The old man farmer listened and then began telling us another yarn, this time about something else. But that was alright. Seed had been sown, and who knows what God will do with it.

My husband goes off in the ute with old man farmer. He’s spending a few hours helping him inspect and repair some of those troughs which that app showed need some manual intervention today.

I smile. My managerial, office working husband is still a farm boy at heart, and he’ll be loving doing some hands on “farm stuff.”

I go back to camp to do a short blog, and this is it. Not my usual style, but there’s nothing usual about road-trips through central outback Queensland.

View of the creek from our campsite

Jo 🙂

21 thoughts on “A Yarn from the Road”

  1. This is wonderful, Jo! It may not be your usual style, but it’s a wonderful “yarn” about politely sharing the hope that resides within us.

    My mother grew up on a 160 acre cotton farm, which makes me only one generation removed from farming. Like your husband, I still feel the pull.

    Again, great post! God Bless.

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  3. This was so lovely to read Jo. Not letting go of a chance to share the hope we have in Christ. As you said the seed is sown. And it sure sounds like your hubby is right at home on the land 😊.

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  5. A beautiful story Jo, thank you for sharing it. You paint a lovely picture of the Queensland outback and that old gentleman. But importantly you share the way your husband gently shared the Good News seed, and left it there. Sharing the Gospel is a job of many parts at many times, and sometimes many people.

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  8. Jo, I thoroughly enjoyed the Old farmer’s yarns and knowing your husband is still busy farming himself as he planted some important seeds. Another visitor will come along to do some watering and yet another to reap the harvest. I just jotted into my journal the old farmer who tells yarns to remind me to be praying for those seeds to germinate. Enjoy your stay at the cattle station.

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  10. Lovely campsite, lovely post! It felt like I was there with you as I read your words. And when I saw the picture I wished to actually be there in person!! You and your hubby were certainly messengers from God to this old farmer. You planted seeds for the Savior!! Blessings to you today.

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