Old World Wisconsin

Here's Dale dismantling Mark and Sally's bathroom. The only thing left in it now is the throne!

On Wisconsin's hottest day of the year Dale and I visited the 500 plus acre site of Old World Wisconsin. It consists of six or so working farms and a town site of original buildings brought to this location from various spots in Wisconsin. The oldest is a mere 1840's age. Besides the intense heat I was thoroughly blessed by what I experienced. Even the heat taught me lessons.

The farms are greatly spread out over the acreage with each being a slightly different time period and ethnicity. African American, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Yankee and Norwegian styles of farming and buildings of the period are in each distinct farm location.

There were several things that stood out. We live in a time of comfort. Air conditioning leads to closed doors and windows keeping out flies and vermin. The intense heat of the day made for some intense odors in the pig sty and chicken coops. Very unromantic! Every house smelled of smoke from the kitchens. Some had the smoke house in the house and this made for much unpleasant odors. The heat was constant with no relief. The work was constant with little relief. The situation was work the farm, grow the vegetables in the gardens of each home, take care of the animals, slaughter the animals, process the meat, mend, wash, repair, work, work, work. The richest of the folks during these times lived difficult lives. They had little distraction from work. The preacher might show up a couple of times a year for he walked 200 miles to get to the area.

What did all of this mean to me? First is unrelated to the time period. Many of the houses had a Plexiglas barrier between the viewing area and a room. Many of these clear barriers were worn a bit and not very clear or clean. I could not see either the entire contents of the room due to the area obstructed by the cloudy barrier or the angle available. It seemed a picture of my ability to see my life. My deep desire is to see and understand God's revelation to me. I try to strain around the corners or look intently through the cloudy glass. I get frustrated seeing only a tiny section and then only viewing the cloudy image. The whole of the Lord's glorious truth is there but I can't see it. My vision is limited not only by the image available, but my processor has an extremely limited capacity. Again the Lord says, "What I show you is all you need. I know the beginning and the end. I know everything about you, everything that you do not know yourself. Look to me alone, trust me alone, don't worry about what you do not see. Just look to me, not the situations you can not possibly understand. Love me with all your heart and love those whom I give you to love." Mother Teresa said, "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Isn't that grand! Love is one small step of love after another. It's not a great, huge decision, it's a phrase by phrase, thought by thought, action by action, step by step determination to love all others with the love we continually enjoy from Christ. I'm in no way worthy except that I am entirely worthy. He made me worthy. I didn't even chose Him. HE CHOSE ME!!! I don't need to see around the corners and through the haze. I only need to feast on His love.

The folks here think of these buildings as old. They range from 1841 to 1896. That's not old. Virginia's settlements are much older and the Roman city of Chester, England we visited over a thousand years old. My grandfather was alive when these settlements were built. My own father was born in 1919 and the earliest building only precedes my birth by little over 100 years. The difference in life style is enormous. They not only knew their neighbors, but their lives were intertwined. Everyone worked. Families lived together and died together. There were no nursing homes. People did not have the option to live as an island. No one closed themselves in a room watching a box or pushing buttons. Children explored and worked.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think my greatest sin is the elevation of self. While everything in me wants only to love, adore, worship and be loved by God, my self is continually seeking ways to care for itself above God and above others. After living almost 60 years I know things are of little importance. Comfort is nice, poverty is not, but enough is fine. I've learned relationships are the stuff of life and loving others and God is the most precious joy in life. One Sunday we were visiting a church and the sermon went on and on. I totally lost what was being said. The Lord distinctly said, "Madam, it's not about you!" Life is not about me. Don't I live as if it were? Lord, you are so infinitely patient with me. How I love you for that!

It's hot again today. I'm glad I live now. I love the grocery store, washing machine, automobile, telephone, air conditioning and the luxury's of kings.