My Grandfather’s Barn — Etta Bend Devotional

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)

That verse always reminds me of my grandpa, Levi Latty. I can picture him going to his barn to milk, morning and evening, whistling the Stephen Foster song, “The Glendy Burk”.  My grandpa, Pappy, did justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with his God. He never pretended to be more or less than what he was: a good, upright, honest, hard-working, family-loving man. His family reflected all his attributes and his farm shown with his labor. The last time I saw Pappy’s barn, it was a barn no longer; it had fallen completely down. But when the Latty family lived on their farm at Etta, the barn was an important place…a shelter from the weather for the animals, a place to hang the harness, bridles and saddles, and a place to milk the cows. Pappy milked so early of a morning, he had to take a lantern to light his way. Sometimes at night, it was after dark when he brought in the pails of warm, foamy milk. The farm was shelter for my mother’s family and the barn was shelter for the animals. My grandparents were the reason this was so.

Thought: We all need the warmth and shelter of family and friends while here on this earth. We also need God’s love as our shelter both while we live here and in the great hereafter.

My Grandfather’s Barn

My grandfather’s barn leans to the south, The weathered old logs are gray.

The tin roof is rusted and dented and busted; The wind blew the doors away.

But once that barn, filled with freshly-mown hay, Was a dark, sweet-smelling retreat.

The straw in the loft was wonderfully soft, A hideaway, cool and complete.

A tinkle of cowbells, a jingle of harness, The smell of horses and leather

Once filled the stalls and the hand-hewn walls Were a refuge in wild, windy weather.

Now Grandfather’s gone and that empty old barn Holds more than a fond memory.

It’s a heritage dear of a bright yesteryear And all that those years meant to me.

    –Blanche Day Manos