Message from the Natural Resources Policy Director

The season of joy can propel us into 2022 with hope

BY KAREN WILLIAMS ICA Natural Resources Policy Director

After a difficult couple of years, this Christmas is the perfect time to lift spirits and gain perspective

“Joy to the World, the Lord is come”

“Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant”

“Joyful all ye nations rise”

“Sing in exultation”

“Shepherds why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?”

“And with delight in peaceful night”

“Lord with the angels we too would rejoice”

You may recognize these familiar words, all lines from the Christmas hymns that are heard so frequently this time of year.

Joy, joyful, exultation, jubilee, joyous, delight, rejoice.

In the scriptural telling of Christ’s birth, there are also expressions of joy. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth while both women were expecting, Elizabeth told Mary, “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”

In announcing Christ’s birth to the shepherds, the angel said, “For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” When the wise men saw the star, “they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

These synonyms of joy and happiness are repeated throughout the songs and stories of Christmas and throughout the Christmas season. This time of year, the word “joy” is one of the most common words. It appears in storybooks, in home decoration, in wall art, on apparel, in stores — and in our hearts.

Given the tumultuous couple of years we’ve just had, joy is something that we all could use a little more of.

Reading the news, hearing the cattle market report, seeing the bitter divisiveness permeate our society and surviving a rainless summer all give justifiable cause to feel a constant state of depression and hopelessness.

The Christmas season — and the reason for it — offers just the measure of hope and optimism that is so desperately needed in our world right now.

I’ve always been a bit crazy about Christmastime. I love the season and the rich traditions that come with it, and look forward to it every year, even in the midst of all the accompanying stress a mother tends to feel. The feeling in the air is not replicated at any other time of year.

I feel the joy that is so commonly expressed. For me, joy is abundant and found in: • Finding that perfect tree on a mountainside after a snowy hike. • Bins full of Christmas decorations just brought out of storage. • Christmas lights. • The poetical sound of the story of the birth of

Christ as written by Luke. • A white Christmas. • Opening the boxes of treasured, heirloom ornaments as the tree is decorated. • Turning all the lights off in the house except for those on the Christmas tree. • Images of Christ all around, and seeing his image reflected in countless acts of charity.

I’ve always been a bit crazy about Christmastime. I love the season and the rich traditions that come with it, and look forward to it every year. … The feeling in the air is not replicated at any other time of year.

• Finding the elusive perfect Christmas gift for someone. • Watching that someone open their perfect gift. • Family gatherings. • My treasured nativity, reflective of my German heritage. • A lit-up house and landscape. • An abundance of good chocolate. • Listening to nothing but Christmas music for a month straight. • Reading a child’s Christmas wish list. • Straight-out-of-the-oven Christmas cookies. • The anticipation felt by both kids and adults alike on Christmas Eve night.

I could go on and on, but I think you get my drift. For me, joy abounds during the Christmas season. The beauty of all this is that even though the glitter and sparkle of the season may last just a month, a shift in perspective and focus can help us feel at least a measure of this joy year-round.

Certainly, the road ahead will be paved with troubles. My 2022 Line Rider articles will be full of them, I’m sure. But we can focus on them as they come and work toward fixing the problems in our industry and our society along the way. For now, let’s all take a collective moment to find joy in the season and find ways to carry hope forward.

REAL EXPERTISE IN AG LENDING.

Conterra. Real people. Real ag experts.

AG REAL ESTATE LENDING FARM AND RANCH LOANS / DEVELOPMENT LOANS ALTERNATIVE LOANS / BRIDGE LOANS / EQUIPMENT LEASES

LET’S TALK AG Jim Davis / VP Relationship Manager Conterra Ag Capital 208-207-9834 / jim.davis@conterraag.com CONTINUED, PAGE 13

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