Another Lesson Learned on a Tractor

After Verlin and I had been married for five years we decided we wanted to move to the country. I was glad. When I was young, growing up on a farm, I said over and over again that I didn't want to live in the city. When I went way to college I found out that city life wasn't all that bad but it sounded good to get back to country living. We purchased the 10+ acres of cherry orchard near Spanish Fork. It wasn't long before I was sitting on the seat of a tractor again. We used the tractor to work in the orchard as well as to harvest hay at our adjoining neighbor's place so that we could provide hay for our milk cows. In the meantime Verlin had become extremely busy with his concrete business and auto parts machining business, and more of the chores fell to me and the kids.


This is not our equipment but similar to the rake and baler we used in Spanish Fork.

Now, one last lesson I learned on the seat of a tractor. Maybe you have heard of Andrew's story of being run over by the "Big One". I think it was the summer that Andrew was about four when I had to go out and rake the hay. I didn't really have my heart in it that day. I was troubled by our financial situation, the fact that Verlin was working twice as hard and we were getting farther and farther in debt as his businesses were not bringing in the money we needed. He had borrowed against the house to try and make a go of things and we were behind on our payments and facing losing our house. I remember wondering that morning if Heavenly Father really knew how much we needed His help and if He really cared about us---me. In other words, I was feeling sorry for myself. That was my frame of mind as I went out to work. Andrew asked if he could come along and I said sure. I enjoyed riding beside my dad on the tractor while he worked so I was happy to let Andrew have that experience. I had been working my way through the hay field, and we had made several uneventful passes. As we approached the end of the field yet another time, I slowed, lifted the rake and made the turn. Just as I was making the turn, the tractor tire hit uneven ground near a dike and the tractor jerked. Andrew, who was not prepared for the jolt, lost his balance and fell forward off the tractor, kind of somersaulting to the ground right in front of the "Big One"-the rear tire. I immediately stepped on the clutch and tried to back up so that I could get off and help Andrew. I was scared to death! In my haste, I put the tractor in 1st gear instead of reverse and drove forward on him a second time. From my perspective on the tractor seat, I watched as he almost disappeared from my view. When I finally got the tractor stopped, I wasn't even sure Andrew was still alive. To my relief he was alive and conscious. Caution was abandoned as I grabbed him up and ran for the truck, told the kids where I was going and rushed him to the doctor. There was no visible blood, but I feared internal bleeding and broken bones. To my amazement he suffered only a bruised pelvis and the imprint of the tractor tire tread on his back. As he fell to the ground he kind of went into a crouched position down in the low area of the dike and this is what saved his life and protected him from serious injury. Was it a coincidence? The answer--NO. I had asked Heavenly Father that morning if he knew my needs or even cared. I got my answer. I was reassured that day as I have been on many occasions since that Heavenly Father knows each of us, knows our needs, and loves each one of us.