Hope is a very powerful thing.
When you have hope you can face almost any obstacle, and life is so much more liveable when you have hope.
In our little drought stricken town we are just beginning to see some flutters of hope.
Our paddocks have gone from looking like this (below) where there was no feed for the sheep, and they were being fed hay by us every day. We have very little hay left now, so the prospect of having enough oats to cut and bale for hay this year gives us hope.
.jpg)
To this. Doesn't that look so much better? Our soil is moist (and actually a little water logged at present!). There is plenty of green feed for the sheep. The sides of the roads are green. Everything looks fresh and beautiful.
Of course we have had this hope before, at this time of year. It's hard to not still be pessimistic when we remember than in the past few years things have looked pretty good in July, only to be dried up and withering by September.
But the past few weeks have been REALLY wet. Wetter than we have had for many years. And that means that the soil is getting moisture down deep, and the crops will send roots down there when the surface moisture dries out.
So, we have hope. And people in the town are smiling.
Lord, thankyou for this wonderful rain. Thankyou that it has fallen so evenly across the whole of Eyre Peninsula. I pray that it will bring renewed hope to our community. I pray for continued rain throughout winter and into spring to ensure our crops have the best chance.
On another subject; It's Jase's funeral today. Please pray for his family and friends as we say goodbye.
5 valued opinions!:
I heard El Nino is coming back through the world so I imagine we will have crazy weather all over the world. I am so glad to hear that things are looking better for you.
Leah
As a worship leader, I image you know this Matt Redman song, but I couldn't help but think about it while reading your post about barren lands & rainfall....
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
You would NOT believe what my word verification is! rainc How ironic is that?!
Leah: El Nino is supposed to rear it's ugly head again toward the end of this month. Most experts don't think it will have an adverse effect on us...lets hope they are right. This winter so far has been the wettest in a long time and it's been wonderful. I've been rained on playing netball 3 times! And no one is complaining! Well...I might have complained a little bit but that was because someone dropped my dry t shirt in a puddle!
Rebecca, I do indeed know that song. Sang it a couple of weeks ago!
Yay! Hope doesn't disappoint. Keep the faith.
Haven't been on your blog in a few days, so I'm catching up. Sitting here now, reading this post ~ tears are streaming down my face in thankfulness at what God is doing there. As I scrolled from one picture to the next, I gasped and immediately cried out, "Thank you Jesus!"
It's been a privilege to pray for you for the past year plus and I'm standing and believing God for TOTAL DELIVERANCE from the drought and an ABUNDANT HARVEST! I will continue to pray until it's reality not only for the crops, but also for dear ones too!
It's quite strange in some ways ~ you now have rain and it's been one of our driest summers on record. It's been unseasonably warm here and above average temperatures. We've had very little rain and there is still no rain in the forecast. Everyone is having to water their gardens often. The raspberries here are abundant, but the blackberries are predicted to be less than normal (they like the wet, cooler temperatures). It's predicted that things should get 'back to normal' this winter.
I am overflowing with HOPE reading this post and it's just the encouragement I needed to keep praying. (Of course, the Sunday story being stuck in the mud was a good indicator too. :o )
Post a Comment