Rain on me

This weekend we had some rain. Proper rain, the steady soaking kind. We had enough to begin our sowing program but this is only the beginning. We need regular instalments for the next 6 months to guarantee a worthwhile crop.

But it's a start. And it's brought us some hope. It will also help with the sheep feeding. At the moment we are feeding them grain and hay every day and we have about three weeks supply left, so this rain has been very timely and very welcome. Hopefully in three weeks we will have enough feed growing in the paddock so we don't have to buy more hay, which not surprisingly is in pretty short supply and very expensive. Robbie will be very pleased to be relieved of sheep feeding duties! They are so hungry at the moment when they hear a vehicle they come running, usually they run in the opposite direction! It hasn't taken them long to associate the vehicle with getting fed.

So, after the past months of unseasonally warm weather we are all getting around in our winter woollies now. The weather is still quite mild, not freezing cold by any means, but we just aren't used to it anymore. You should have seen the kids huddling around the heater at church, anyone would have thought it was snowing outside!

Speaking of church. The service this week was great. I felt really connected while I was leading which was lovely. Usually when I worship lead I struggle to actually worship myself because my head is busy thinking and planning for what comes next. This week I just relaxed and let it wash over me, to a point. There was one particular song which I love and generally brings tears to my eyes but I managed to remain in control while leading it. Only just. My voice still wasn't up to scratch but it held up for my part in the service. I had to leave during the sermon twice to have a coughing fit and I'm so glad that didn't happen while I had a microphone in my hand!

Lord, thank you for the beautiful rain. I pray now as we head into the busiest time of year for us that my husband can get his work done without accident or injury, and that he can find time to rest. He gets so caught up in getting the crop in as quickly as possible that he forgets to take time to rest which worries me when they are working with such big machinery. I pray that you will watch over him Lord. I also pray for myself and the kids during this time. Its at the busy times that I realise just how much my husband supports and helps us out on a daily basis, I pray that we can all do that little bit extra to fill the void, so that when he is home he can rest and not feel he has to help around the house.
I pray for continuing rain now Lord, I pray that it refreshes our land and our spirits and it continues throughout the year.