That’s what my grandmother called it. I remember late nights with my parents and grandparents working to prepare a cow or a hog that had been slaughtered. These days began early with the work continuing all day and into the night. Mama usually had to work and when she came home she jumped right in.

My Mama and Mama Kate (our grandmother) cut up the meat along with my Pappy and Dad. The knives had been sharpened and could slice the meat with ease. The meat was portioned out into meal sizes and wrapped in aluminum foil then wrapped in white paper. My job was to label the packs. I took pride in writing the very best I could.

I never doubted for one minute that my family would provide. I worked beside those dear family members seeing them make provision for us. If it wasn’t putting up meat late at night, it was canning and freezing. When the summer ended the freezer was full and the selves could not hold another jar.

When the cold weather came, the next freezer was filled with meat. It gave me confidence.

My heart aches that everyone did not have the experience of safety, provision, and love. While our family was by no means perfect they most certainly always made us safe and gave their love. It was this one thing above all else that gave me a heart to trust a heavenly Father.

When the Sunday School teacher would say God loved us, I knew He did. When they taught us God was a Father who provided everything I needed, I had experienced that with an earthly father.

No matter what kind of earthly father we have, our heavenly Father is the perfect Father. Place your trust in Him. He is trustworthy. He is faithful. He will provide everything you will ever need.

We have every confidence in Him.