“Country Folks Pray for Rain”
What clouds and thunder gather;
Skies are threat’ning and gray.
But the rain falls elsewhere:
None comes here today.
“Possible showers,” the ‘weatherman’ says.
“Summer storms are passing through.”
But still my lawn is parched and dry
And flowers are withered, too.
I remember how we met to pray
For rain when crops were failing.
Some faithful believers took umbrellas to church,
And expected hard rains, even hailing.
We were rewarded for our prayers:
Such a rain as we’d never seen!
Crops soaked the moisture quickly,
Soon fields were verdant and green.
And when the harvest time came,
Food yields, enough for all.
A reminder that when we ask Him
God hears and answers our call.
—Ethelene Dyer Jones
We’ve had sufficient rain this summer. I know a lot of you haven’t had near enough rain and others have had way too much! Summer gardening woes, wildfires, and dry waterways always make me wish we could move rain around like a playing piece on a game board.
Last night’s video: Exuberance in July – Garden Gone Wild || Mountain Garden Tour.
Tipper
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Yes, the rain has been great and an answer to prayers. But I told God yesterday, “I’m good now. Some sunshine would be appreciated.” 🙂
Good morning Tipper and Acorns. I so enjoyed your July Garden video. We have finally caught up a bit with the rain here in NE TN but the over-all drought remains. I keep every person, every prayer request here and the folks up Wilson Holler in my prayers. I ask for your prayers for Ed and me. Some other issues have come back up again for us again that need prayers as well. We have good people helping us and we have GOD. TY so much for your prayers for my sister Nancy. She is still in the hospital, and they are trying to save her foot after the tractor rollover. The first Skin graft has been completed. She hasn’t stopped smiling or trying to spread the WORD and Mercy of GOD thru the hospital. She is a sweetheart. I love y’all.
I will keep praying! Thank you Barbara!!
And then there have been tornados in NE Ohio. So much clean up, but everyone is OK.
Tipper- this is very much us here in British Columbia, Canada, and many other places across Canada – the air is smoke laden, and the heat is high, and so much land and so many communities burning up from forest wildfires. A good rain is much needed! For myself, there is nothing nicer than a good rain, listening to the droplets hitting the window, and watching it splatter as it hits the ground, knowing how lush and green things will be in the afterward. I loved both the poem and the photo this morning!!
What a beautiful poem Ms Jones wrote. I totally agree with her that “”when we ask Him, God hears and answers our calls”.
God knows our needs and provides our needs exactly when we actually need them. All in His timing, not ours. People sometimes get needs and wants confused. That’s why it’s important we understand the difference between needs and wants when we go to God in prayer. God always provides our needs, but very seldom our wants, unless it’s in alignment with His will and not our own.
Here in Colorado it’s usually very dry. It’s been a hot summer, but the monsoon blew in Wednesday with a heavy storm. It was glorious! For the first time this summer I didn’t have to water my plants first thing in the morning, nor my lawn. Water is scarce here in the high desert and it’s expensive, but my husband just loves a nice grass front yard, so we run the sprinklers every night. I’m so thankful the Lord sent us this rain, everything looks green and fresh, no more sad, wilting trees.
I enjoyed the poem and reading about gathering in church to pray UNITED for rain. I loved hearing about snakes on the fence and a rain cadence, singing or dancing. It’s rained here a lot and I must admit I’m sitting here NOW in a winter housecoat and winter socks and it’s cloudy and dark today as well. I added 4 RIR chickens to my Motley crew of 8 GLW -3 of which have turned out to be roosters. I foresee 2 in a pot of Coq au vin here any day. I picked over 100 tomatoes yesterday because stink bugs ( the ugly grey drone looking things) were eating down my tomatoes like a squirrel with big huge chunks literally eaten out of 5 or 10 whopper tomatoes. I opted for picking them over letting the rain beat them into the dirt, rot them, let horn worms eat them and stink bugs eating my bounty. They sure are pretty and tasty. We have been eating tomato sandwiches 2 weeks with about another 2 weeks worth at least to go. I’m thinking about making salsa this year. A friend in Florida highly recommends salsa so I’ve got to make some. I’ve got plumbing work that needs completed concerning my kitchen drain outdoor line which has apparently been busted for over 40 years when a foot of concrete was poured on this patio. The ground stunk and now the patio has been jackhammered a bit to let the smell die and dig the hole. I gotta tar the outside wall and let it dry before refilling with gravel. I’ve got headaches here at the money pit,but I’m a survivor. When I get done, this place will be nice. I ordered a hot tub for my birthday. All I ever wanted was a hot tub and chooks… looks like I’ve made it yall!!! God bless you all and may the Good Lord heal whatever ails ya. He’s God and he wants constant prayer and constant communication with his children. If we have little talks with Jesus, He will make it right.
As always praying for Papaw Tony & Mr. Norman.
thank you Sherri
My favorite YouTube Meteorologist talked about heavy rain and storms that were moving through NC yesterday. I worried that Wilson’s Hollow might get more than it needed. It has certainly been a wild summer for weather here in KY. The destructive tornado that moved through a few days ago touched down in the county south of mine, while my area got torrential downpours about every day last week. It is currently 62 degrees at 9 AM, making it feel like September instead of July. My area will not need to pray for rain, as another severe weather day is predicted for Monday. I am fighting through a jungle of grass and weeds I can’t keep up with while I repeat the words of a poem I used to recite as a child. “Rain, rain, go away…”
We’ve had a goodly amount of rain over the past 48 hours here. Not the heavy downpours and flooding that were called for, although we had a little of that, but more a slow steady gentle rain. In fact it is raining as I write this. The weatherman is calling for this to continue until tomorrow morning. Will it break the drought we are in, I don’t know.
Your garden looks fantastic Tipper! My tommy toes have been producing like crazy for the last three weeks and they are still full. The large tomatoes are full but haven’t turned ripe as fast as the tommy toes. We had some unusual high heat in the 100’s and the Canadian smoke come down at the same time. They warned that the young and elderly should not be out breathing that air and I could tell the difference in just going to the mailbox. Then we got some rain and cool weather pushed that air out and I can sit out on the patio again. Praying for Norman, B, Kim and Papaw Tony here in SC PA.
thank you dee, God bless you very much
A fond memory from my childhood is that I oft visited my grandmother’s farm and stayed with her a lot there. It was summertime and a regular occurrence was that her brothers would come from Michigan to visit and stay for a week or so before going back home. What I recall is they would always bring things with them and the one thing I remember the most that they would bring is Vernor’s ginger ale. Nowadays, one can go to the store and purchase it anywhere, but not then.
During one particular trip, my great Uncle Amos and his brother Oot came. I was young and I don’t actually remember the conversation, but I feel like my grandmother had mentioned how dry it was and that there was a lack of rain. Uncle Amos proceeded to do a rain dance with some kind of singing. And sure enough, later on that afternoon, it rained. As this was the mid 1970’s, there was no cellular device or even a TV to instantly access the weather radar and there was no way to tell when it was going to rain. I was completely fascinated at the whole display! I believe that I also recall during that trip that he killed a snake and hung it on a fence. Folklore claims that if one does that, it would rain within 3 days. I remember seeing that quite a bit as a kid. It was commonplace to ride down the road and see snakes hanging on fences.
Another time, here at my Tennessee home, probably a decade ago, one of our relatives came to visit. It hadn’t rained in weeks and we had a garden planted. We were discussing having to water everyday and how the water from a hose just isn’t as effective as rainwater. We were sitting on the porch one hot and clear night. The moon was shining and there were no clouds in the sky. A tiny cloud appeared and Danny, who walked with a cane, started tapping that cane on the porch in a regular cadence and began to sing in a Native American language. The cloud grew and covered up the moon. He kept singing and tapping the cane until sure enough, it rained! Not only did it rain, it came a good old fashioned corn blower complete with a downpour and plenty of wind. It was a miracle to witness the whole display. Some may not believe in such foolishness. I might question it myself if I hadn’t personally witnessed it twice within my lifetime!
Ethelene’s poem rings so true. I can remember hearing that the little church I had attended as a child had called nightly prayer meetings for the revival (another type of rain) they were planning. I’d never known of them to do that before. I was grown, and went elsewhere at that time. I had been saved in that church when I was nine years old. Later I learned that the revival was very successful and that a lot of my schoolmates that weren’t saved back when I was nine, were saved as adults! [James 5:16 “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”]
We had been in a drought for the past 6 years or so, according to the weather folks, the farmers and my well. Welllll, this spring changed that as my lane was washed out 3 times in 10 days. It has since evened out and everything around these parts shows the exuberance of July that Tipper was gushing about in her video. I totally understand the feelings she was expressing. It’s that feeling you got as a child on Christmas morning. Just giddy with excitement and so thankful for what you’d received. As I walk my garden rows, my brick path to the pond, my quarter mile lane with the fresh cut grass, soon to be beautiful hay bales, I’m rewarded with a lush green that brings envy from my dear friend of 54 years who lives in AZ. My daylillies haven’t stopped blooming and my 2.5 acres of yard has needed mowed every 4 days. I love to mow and if I can keep my mowers from breaking lol it’s a joy to hop on and transform my place in a couple of hours. I wish to thank all who prayed for my granddaughter, Josie, yesterday. After a very long day and many, many phone calls eary in the day, she was able to be seen yesterday afternoon and received the much needed antibiotics. She was pain free by 5:30 & able to eat for the first time in over 48 hours. I told her of the prayer warriors of the BPA and that brought a smile to her face. She has a new & very strong faith and is learning how the power of prayer can bring healing.
Please continue to pray for my 3 grandkids and if you’ve got time, me. I have another round of chemo this Thursday if the shots I received after the last chemo(7/1) worked to boost my nearly nonexistent white blood cells. I feel great so I’m believing the shots worked but then again, lol, I felt great when the results showed they were so low. Prayers and positive thoughts to all in need. May all who come here today feel the love and support ♡
Wonderful answered prayers for Josie! I will keep praying for you Kim and for your grandchildren 🙂
Kim, that’s wonderful news! Praise the Lord! Thankful she has relief and is on the mend!
My sister messaged me yesterday that my brother in law is in remission and we’re so grateful! He has surgery on his aorta on August 6th so we are asking the Lord again for provisions. We continue to lift you in prayer and I’m looking for the day you are cancer free! We will remember your grandkids, too! God is good, even on our worst day, He is still good!!
thank you dee, God bless you very much
God bless Kim and her family, answer all prayers make everything right in Jesus name, all she loves and cares about
Rained hard in the night here in north Georgia and is raining now. We do need it. I am not seeing any puddle which tells me something. I do wonder about planting by the signs when I plant reds and they get no rain for days or weeks and don’t sprout. Seems that would confound the calculation somehow.
We received much needed rain yesterday, all day, and it was glorious. Thank you God!
I remember in the early 80’s there was a year of terrible drought. The farmers in the area were having to sell cattle. A group of farmers in the Midwest drove a convoy of tractor trailers loaded with bales of hay for the farmers here. If my memory is correct, the farmers here returned the favor in the next few years for the same group .
I remember the evening the rain came….we were sitting on the porch and the breeze started. You could smell the rain. That smell is called petrichor, and it is the sweetest smell. I hope I can always remember that evening and the feeling of thankfulness that I felt to the God who controls all things.
Freida, I remember the drought of the mid 80’s in SC. In someway one of our area dairy farmers arranged to have hay brought in from the midwestern states and given to the farmers. I think the hay and the truckers that delivered it was all donated. For many years, Mr. Tom Tratham (the one responsible for doing this) was teased about getting hay but loosing a daughter. His daughter fell in love and married one of the young boys that helped deliver this hay. She moved to her husband’s family beef farm. When asked if she knew the difference between beef and dairy cows she would answer “you don’t have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning 7 days a week to milk the beef cows.” Mr. Tom has now died but his son now runs a very successful diary farm and a produce store named Happy Cow Diary Pelzer, SC.
We are in our rainy season but its so hot and humid that it feels suffocating. Sometimes steam rolls up from the road. On the up side my basil is crazy growing!
Your post today makes me think of James 5:16-18. “ The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Prayer is so powerful! I am sneaking out to work in the garden for a couple hours before we leave for VBS. I am very tired this morning but it’s been a wonderful week. Praying for all the needs here today.
Yes and amen! God is so good!
We are in the “way too much” category. A lot of counties in AL are still in a drought, but not us. It’s been raining since about five this morning after coming a hard rain yesterday evening. A lot of hayfields around here need cutting, but their stewards are hamstrung by all of this liquid sunshine. It will probably turn off dry in August, and we’ll have a hot “Indian Summer” through September. I hope everyone has blessed, safe, and enjoyable weekend.
The last time we prayed hard and long for rain we got Hurricane Helene, so be careful of what you ask for, especially hard and long!
Praise God, he answers when we call, Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, today I pray for the lost sick suffering and struggling, Papa Tony, Lord please help, people need your healing hand, please take away the pain and suffering, we ask for healing and restoration Lord and provision,so much going on in the world, some of it’s unbelievable, so much a man can’t think on it long, God help in Jesus name, Amen
Beautiful, Norman!
God bless you Debbie
Mr. Norman, thank you for that beautiful prayer. I check here every day, always looking for a post from you.
God bless you Sherri thank you for praying for me, God bless you and your family
Amen!
That’s a beautiful poem and great reminder! Thank you for sharing!
We had a lot of rain early in the season. Flooding rains for weeks, but we are now in the very dry season that always comes. We need rain, and the Lord in all of His wisdom and goodness will send it on His time. We’ve had years of plenty and years of little because of the weather, but He always sees us through!
The weather this week has been like fall. The temperature dipped into the high 40s night for last. After being in the 100s with suffering humidity it was sure a welcomed break! We’re headed back to misery tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers! B is doing better! Her pain is now being managed and they will see if they can turn down her oxygen today. Praise the Lord!
I just now jumped on here to see if there was any news on Little B. Praise be “B”, to see she’s doing better!! Let’s keep it going Acorns♡
That poem seems so true for my neck of the woods. I just looked at the weather radar and it shows rain all around my area but none here. We did get a shower late yesterday and have had more rain this summer than we have had in the last several years. I cut my 2 acres of grass yesterday and was covered in dust by the time I was finished. I commented a few days ago about reading an article about the drought in my area that has been going on for several years, NOAA said we would need 30 inch’s of rain in the next 6 months to get out of this drought and back to what as considered normal. I have been told this story about my Grandaddy Kirby, it happened before my time back when many of the families in my area made their living by farming 40 acres with a mule. It was very dry and his/our church was having a special service to pray for rain. He brought either an umbrella or raincoat to the meeting, when he was asked about it he replied “ there is no need to pray about it if you don’t believe it.” It did rain the next day after this service.