Rainy Week

We’ve had plenty of rain all summer.  Not a week has gone by that the lawn hasn’t needed mowed and it never was brown.  Usually there isn’t much growing grass in July & August to mow.
From Tuesday night, 8/28, through Monday night, 9/3, I recorded 7.59″ of rain!  We don’t really have fields that flood or stay flooded but now even the ones north of the house have standing water.  The farmer was able to mow the lawn quickly last evening but drove through standing water in lower parts of the yard.

Sunday afternoon:

Clearly some water rushed through here to flatten the tall grasses!

The creek crossing that is usually dry by now.

Monday afternoon – 3 hours after it quit raining that day.  Neither the dog nor I wanted to go through this!

Today is more rain!  It was .6″ a bit ago.

The soybeans are looking nearly ready for harvest and at this point it will take a long time to dry out the fields for equipment.

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…. on single people in your church

This article really spoke to me. Over the years, I’ve heard how hard it is to be a single person in the church. No one says anything. Everyone sits in groups; couples or families. Go in the door, sit alone at church, go out the door. Months and months go on and no one says anything.  On a holiday the family groups get bigger.  Still a single may be alone.  “Church hurts on holidays.”  How hard to have no place to go on Easter or July 4th but your own apartment.

ARTICLE

Thankfully in our family, one has the circumstances in place that when sick can call me and I am able to drop my job and go care for her.  I will drive a day and a half to find the other one if hospitalized or such.  Will anyone come when that one needs someone to speak up for them in an emergency?  Will you be the someone that can be on their call list?

But really, the church needs to find the single people.  NOT to play match-maker but to be a partner with them.  I like the idea from the article of 2 couples would connect with 1 single person.  If the single person needs a ride home from taking their car to the mechanic, they can text the group and see if anyone is able to pick them up.  Same with a couple, if the spouse can’t get off work or leave the children, maybe the single person could pick you up from the mechanic.   If the single person needs to have someone hold the ladder while they change the lightbulb on the 11′ ceiling, there is someone to ask when they could help.  The couple and single person could meet up for supper and the single wouldn’t have to sit in a restaurant alone like every other time.  The single person could be invited over to add another adult to your board game.  I know that a board game with 2 is only so-so.

I know I have a backup if my husband isn’t able to help in an emergency.  But what if there is no spouse?  No family near?

Will you be the person that a single person could call? 

Do you talk to a single person at your church?  Try it.  Talk this week and talk to them next week.  Sit with them.  Ask if you can trade phone numbers.  Offer that they can call you if they need a second hand or just to bounce an idea off someone.  Text them to make sure a hard task at work went OK.  Text them something funny.  Ask their advice on where to hang a collection at your home.  Ask for help on trimming a big branch.  Finish off with offering to go for a sandwich together.  Let them be a part of a family hike.

I know a couple that has a single every Monday night for supper.  Then the 2 women go to a ladies Bible Study together.  It is one of the few home cooked meals this single has ALL WEEK!  I think that is blessing someone so easily.  It is just Monday supper.  It isn’t a Christmas feast with china and silver place settings.  Just being around a table together.

Be the church.

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