Nwsltr010310-Early Americana
‘Recalling the Toil of the Grandfathers and the work of God’

by the Watchman Dana G Smith
Keywords: Americana, labor, Sun, toil, faith, salvation, truth, Jesus Christ
Words:1784

My Grandfather on my mothers side lived in the state I now live in. He was Pennsylvania Dutch, a Farmer. His background was from a certain religious group that did not follow him to this part of the country. He never talked about it much, suffice it to say, His background was a strict one, I believe. He and grandmother were married not out of love, but of necessity; many during that era did the same thing. It was a matter of survival and a woman needed a man, as well, a man needing a good strong woman to bear a family and keep the house, and more! For Grandmother had three children, two girls and one boy. But she also kept house, cooked, planted the garden, harvested, canned, feed chickens, plucked them, and found time to play cards, sew, and be with the family.

It was a hard life. For us growing up a visit to the farm meant animals, a long country drive, and we were not impressed with the fresh milk, fresh eggs, fresh butter, fresh cream, meat from their own farm, and hand sewn quilts. Today, though, I appreciate it and realize the hard work that went into it. For my grandparents, work was the function to do in order to stay alive. They worked on the farm from 4 am to dusk, seven days a week. Grandad had beets, alfalfa, and other crops, along with standard farm fare of animals.

Sunday, though, they were duty bound to do chores as the animals did not take a day off from eating. But soon after the chores of the morning, they were off to the church. We were Methodists. At an early age I learned the life of my grandparents, but never really understood the hard work and persistence they had developed in their lives. My mother and siblings were raised impoverished, working in the garden at an early age, up till the time they moved away.

It was a life that I recall as early Americana, for both my grandparents were settlers in this neck of the woods, coming over in covered wagons. They lived near and came to know the Indians that lived a stone throw away across the river from them. It was early America, late 1800′s and nearing the 1900′s when things would begin to change drastically.

I am reminded of this scripture in Ecclesiastes, that tells us to “go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works.” These verses tell the reader to “live joyfully with thy wife, all the days of thy vanity”, for sayeth the writer, “this is your portion that comes from the labor you toil in under the sun.” Further the writer says that whatever your hand finds to do, “do it with all thy might”. At the end of this wisdom is a morsel that tells us the threat of the grave, a very present truth, both in the times of the writing of Ecclesiastes and today. The difference today is the ‘salvation’ we have through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ecclesiastes 9:7  Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8  Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9  Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

In retrospect, I believe, today we live fast, furious, unthankful, have no concept of hard toil as our forefathers, and are adrift in a sea of things that are vain and do us no good. My grandfather was happy at what he did. Yes, he had bad days, but many a time when I was with him, I shall remember. He was a small man, but tough. He was a thin man, but could work anyone twice his size under the table. No one gave him what he had, he toiled long and hard, sweat, blood, and tears to just survive starvation and hard winters. His life was not concerned with the United nations, the European union, the International bankers, one world currency, or even credit. He paid for his crops yearly. He bought what he needed with cash. He had a farm by debt, but that was it. He also would not hesitate to grab his gun and shoot you if you messed around with his farm, his family, or himself. He did not expect anyone to give him a thing. He did not live by waiting for government handouts. It was a different time.

Grandad lived during the times of intense poverty and depression in America. He saw many things, but today, I thank God he doesn’t see what this nation has become. Again here, I am reminded of a portion of scripture in Ecclesiastes. There is a work of God, and whatever God does, can man undo? No, of course not; although many think they can. There has been a time of prosperity for this nation and for many of the people in it. We have live above all the realm of plush prosperous and utterly vain times. Times of gluttonous and selfish pride, the me generation. The pleasure generation, and one that does not understand the basics of survival or how to do it as Grandpa and Grandma knew how to do. Their generation is past now and the torch is upon us, but alas, we have lost it.  The America you know today is foreign to the one of the early Americana.  The times coming, though, will be utter days of adversity, and this article is pointed to help you understand that what God does, no man or woman or nation can undo. We have lived “in the day of prosperity and were joyful”, but in the coming “day of adversity consider, that God has set one against the other so that man should find nothing after him.”  It is God who will live on, not men, not women, not nations, not worlds, and surely not the creation itself. Only God is eternal and only he is to be glorified, lifted up, and followed. Considering this, There is a God, the Father, who has delivered his only begotten Son into the world to be mocked, tortured, and crucified for the sins of men. This is our hope, our only hope! Surely, “consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?” Answer, surely not man! For all is vanity, except that which concerns God and his works!

Ecclesiastes 7:13  Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15  All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

I think about my Grandfather, in fact both of them; so different, but both from early americana. Our roots have been traced back to the beginning of this nation by our family before me. Roots, but what are roots if the nation to which they were buried in, toiled in, and bled for, is no more? It is vanity, surely? The conclusion to this article is the conclusion to your life; after all that is said and done; after all you have worked for, striven for, bled for, looked too, and sought to accomplish, what is the final solid word of wisdom? What is that thing to which you have aspired for? What is it that your life meant? For whom? For what reason? Finally, to what end?

The whole truth of everything for this year and next for all of us facing the adversity to come is this:

“¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

And again: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”

For “Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming”.

This is not vanity, for this too is the work of God, to save those that believe in and  keep the testimony of Jesus Christ, as they keep his word in their hearts unto obedience. What God hath done, it cannot be undone, so my friend, Hope thou in God!

1 Corinthians 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20  ¶But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Ecclesiastes 12:11  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13  ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.