"I just need one more good season, Barb. Then I can buy another hundred acres!" Explained the young farmer patiently.
"Paul, why can't we use the extra we have for something now? We could buy those fine Hereford cows the Powws have for sale. Mr. Berk has a prize Hereford bull. The calves from the first season would make back what you spent. And we would have the cows, and their milk. We could sell the extra milk and butter." pleaded Barb. They had been over this many times.
"We will have a herd one day. But first, the land. You can never have too much land!" declared Paul, his eyes shining.
And so they waited. He had the good season for which he prayed, and bought the land. Then the drought came. It lasted for five long years. Paul was forced to sell off the newly bought land at half of what he paid for it. The family also lost half of their own acreage before the rains returned.
Lesson learned, Paul never again wanted anything in excess. He took everything in moderation, and was determined to teach his son to do the same.
"Papa, what is the worst sin?" asked the child, as he walked barefoot down the country road towards the family farm.
"Well that's a good question... I guess I would have to say gluttony. After all, that's the one that got us thrown out of the Garden Of Eden."
"I thought it was disobeying God's order."
"Yes, but why did Adam and Eve eat from the Tree? Because they wanted more. They got tricked by the devil into thinking that they would become gods.
They had been gifted with eternal life. The first people had a paradise to enjoy, care for, and turn into anything they wanted. They got to talk to the Creator. But it still wasn't enough. That sounds like gluttony to me." replied the older man in the patched coveralls.
The child thought about it. "What about murder? And stealing?"
"Without gluttony, those things would be rare as hen's teeth. Why do people kill or steal? Most of it can be traced back to gluttony, on the part of both the victim and the victimizer."
"And taking the Lord's name in vain?" he asked, skeptically.
"Yes even that. If we were really satisfied with what we had in life, those thoughts wouldn't be floating around, would they?"
"I guess you're right! Now I know which sin to fight the hardest!" he said, triumphantly.
"They all need fighting... This one is just a really nasty root. It's awful hard to get rid of!"
"How did you get rid of it, Papa?"
"God gave me a gift, one that at the time I was mighty unhappy to receive."
"What was it?" asked the curious child.
"It was a drought, one that lasted five years." When it was over, it felt like blessing after blessing got heaped on me. You were one of them. You were born nine months after the rain came back."
The two had finally arrived at their destination. A sprawling ranch style home, with a large barn next to it. A herd of cattle grazed in a nearby pasture. Two sleek colts romped in a corral. In back of the barn was a large henhouse, and a pigsty.
The boy looked at the diverse forms of abundance with newfound appreciation. He smiled, and decided right then and there to be grateful for everything. And never to want more than he needed.
At first gluttony appeared to be a good thing. More land could mean a much bigger crop. But this type of thinking can be dangerous. It almost cost Paul and Barb everything.
The cows would have produced money too, but it would have been slower. However, the expensive prize calves would have added to the family's income each year, with a minimum amount of expense during the lean years. The milk and butter would have been a welcome addition to the diet, as well as another opportunity to trade or sell for other necessities.
Cover image made im Canva using their gallery