NEWS FROM THE HILLS
Dear Cousin,
A summer thunderstorm swept over our hills at dusk last night, bringing much needed moisture to the lawns and gardens. The sultry heat was banished, as the wind blew away the last vestige of the sun-scorched day. The garden crops greedily drank in the life-giving moisture as the rain continued to soak the ground.
The corn blades have been curled up for days in order to conserve every precious drop of dew and channel it toward the roots. Today they are green and flat as the roots are thoroughly watered. The cucumber vines that have been dry and wilting in the hot sunshine have taken on new life and are green and lively once more.
The storm cleared the air of humidity, and the sky is scrubbed blue and sporting fluffy white clouds. The leaves that hung limp and dusty on the trees are freshly green and waving gaily in the refreshing breeze that blows through the hills today.
As my Grandpa O’Dell used to say, “It was a ‘wonderful’ storm!” It is such a blessing that God knows exactly when to send the rain, and we are thankful for it. It is wonderful that God can wash us clean from the entire dirt and filth of the world. In Isaiah 1-18 it says, “Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The 16th verse carries it a little farther, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.
The way to salvation is plain. I John 1-9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” After confession comes repentance (or godly sorrow) for our sins, believing on Jesus Christ, and forsaking the sinful way. What a blessing to be washed clean of our sins! There are numerous blessings that the Lord sends every day. Each time I go to the garden to gather the fresh vegetables; I thank the Lord for the bountiful supply. In spite of the late and cold spring, our garden has flourished.
Although we generally have fresh corn mid-July, we had our first mess of “corn on the cob” this week. Picked right from the patch and plunged into boiling water, there is nothing better than sweet corn dripping with butter-unless it is a sun-ripened tomato eaten out of hand, sprinkled with salt. Our son-in-law Jeff got so anxious for fresh corn that he picked an armful of blisters and cooked them. Crystal was busy with the baby, but she said the little girls, Alyssa and Brionna, plus their father, were busy buttering and eating them with great gusto. Jeff urged Crystal to hurry up and get in on the repast. She buttered an ear, ate a few bites, then told Jeff, “This is awful — it tastes just like the cob!” Jeff replied cheerfully, “Yes, but ain’t it good for cobs?”
Love,
Cousin Alyce Faye
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