Amish Kitchen

No kid on Christmas morning was ever more excited than me today, waiting for my new kitchen cabinets to arrive.  Built by an Amish family in Daviess County from whom I’d ask a million questions if I knew what was proper.  Just watching I’ve picked up that they use design software and email.  Power tools but no shop vac. They use brooms instead. Their clothes have buttons but no zippers.  Some wear beards and some don’t.  They follow IU basketball.  They laugh a lot.  The speech between sons and fathers is ever so kind and respectful.  And their product is positively beautiful.  

I wonder what they think of me.  Do they wonder about my family’s ways?  Are we interesting to them in ways that beg questions they don’t ask but I’d love to hear?  My husband would say, “Annie, they are at work.” Still  I wonder.

I drink up my coffee so I can go down for another refill when what I’d really rather do is pull up a chair and watch them all day.  They’d surely be kind gracious but equally annoyed to have me underfoot.  I want to invite them back with their wives and kids so we can eat together and talk and talk.  But that would be weird I suppose.  Business is our connection and it’s a good one.  For now they are here and I’ll practice patience and restraint.  No easy task for any kid on Christmas morning.

~peace & prayers, pastor annette