The Origin of These Words

I'm a nerd. I love studying word origins. Here is the origin of the word 'provision': "goes back to Latin 'videre' which is the English word 'vision' meaning 'to see'. Its Latin ancestor 'providere, formed with the prefix 'pro' meaning 'before' hence meaning to 'forsee'-a sense which survived into English: 'evident and sufficient signs, whereby may be provided and foreseen the aborcement before it comes'. In Latin it had moved on to 'exercise foresight by making preparations', and this formed the basis of the later 'supply'. Other English descendants of 'providere' include 'improvise', 'prudent', 'purvey', and 'vision'.

Why in the world did I run you through all that Latin mumbo jumbo? I don't know. I'd be surprised if you had the patience to actually sit through that dissertation.

This means a lot to me because we named our farm 'Provision Farm'. When we first acquired our goats and chickens, I felt we needed to name our place. I've seen some horrific farm names like 'Empty Pockets Farm' and 'Broke Back Farm'. Would you want to live and work there? I surely wouldn't! I want to live and work at a farm in which I know the fruit of my labors is blessed. God thusly gave me the name 'Provision Farm'.

Do you know what the origin of the word 'farm' is? Don't worry, I won't copy out another section of my studies for you. I'll give you the skinny, okay? The word 'farm' literally means 'to pay'; a lot like paying rent. So, the way I think of it, I'm a lot like a landlord and I provide a home for my animals, so they pay me rent (often with their lives! heehee). Okay, seriously, there's many references in Scripture of Jesus being the Good Shepherd, and I don't think it's just because he was speaking to an agrarian culture. I think it's because we are all called to be a shepherd in some way shape or form. All of us have something in this earth that we are subduing (hopefully for the glory of God, which would indeed make us a good shepherd).

Also, God is like a landlord, and I pay him rent for the care that He gives me. I'm not talking about tithe right now; I'm talking about honor. The same as my animals pay rent to me with their lives, I pay rent to God with my life. I'm called to be a living sacrifice for Him. The rent I pay is to be fruitful for Him. He has warned that those who are not fruitful branches in their life will be cut off. I do the same at my farm. The technical term for it is called 'culling'. Those animals that do not bear sufficient 'fruit' with whatever traits they were bred to produce are usually butchered. They provide for us in some way, always. God sometimes makes our 'getting culled/pruned' an example to others so that they will take heed to be more fruitful with their lives.

So, to sum up the name of our farm: We look forward to what God is doing, and we owe Him our life. He is good and faithful to tend us well. We, in turn, are called to be faithful;to be a good and pleasing sacrifice to our Good Shepherd.

Thank you, dear Lord, for the gift of Vision.