Water Lines
Recently we added new water lines at Peace Mountain Ranch. These new lines stretch from a tank at the top of the bank down into the pastures with two hydrants, one in each pasture. Eventually, the tank will be filled with rainwater from the roof of the Carriage House (we still need to install gutters along the edge of the roof to collect the rain), for now, we fill it with a hose from our well. This might seem like a minor thing but, as in so many situations, what may seem minor is actually quite major.
You see, it doesn’t matter how green and lush the grass is, it isn’t a good pasture if the livestock can’t find water. Water is key to the animals’ good health, and rain is an excellent renewable source of water. So we dug out a place for the tank on the hillside, dug a trench for the pipe that will bring the rain from the Carriage House roof to the tank, and rented a trencher to bury the lines to the hydrants. There were lots of obstacles, like rocks too big for the trencher, a mechanical issue that delayed the finish, and the logistics of digging a trench down a steep hill, but in the end, we persevered!
Life is often like this, sometimes our biggest obstacles don’t seem like a big deal to others. They don’t understand how something that is common, and readily available in their own lives (like water), may not be so readily available in our lives. Take peace for example, many of us who have seen the horrors of war firsthand, long for peace. A peace that is difficult to find among the memories, the loss, the nightmares, and the seemingly petty distractions of modern life in America. Others, who have never had peace ripped from their lives, just don’t understand the importance of peace to those of us who long for it.
That is why Peace Mountain Ranch exists. We are the waterline bringing God’s living water, His peace, to those who so desperately thirst for it. Veterans, military members, people who have seen trauma are welcome here. We pray that they find peace here. We come alongside them, and walk part of their journey with them, sharing their load; helping them find a little peace, a little hope, and a new path – one that leads to healing and wholeness.
Sometimes you don’t feel comfortable sharing with someone who hasn’t had a similar, shared experience. This is why it is so important that Peace Mountain Ranch is a Veteran-to-Veteran healing experience. We have a common base of understanding from which to connect to hurting souls. We speak the same language; we share some of the same experiences; we have seen the horrors of war and felt the sting of loss. We have found peace here in Eastern Tennessee, peace like cool spring water, and we long to help others take a drink.
