A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


May 28, 2014

Tough and Resilient

   
PLW and Judy assess a tree torn out by its roots 
     This post will be short and sweet, but one that I hope will show you the stuff of which we Americans are made.  We woke up yesterday to straight line winds, hail and powerful rain; flooding is imminent.  But we Texans, like our brethren across this land, are not ones to bend to the challenges of Mother Nature.  And we pitch in and help our neighbors where it is needed.
     PLW and I spent the morning helping our friends Judy and Geary begin the arduous task of clearing oak trees off their 100-acre property.  What was once a manicured and tidy yard, with a brick home nestled among towering oaks, has become a picture of chaos.  Some trees have been unearthed; every leaf stripped from others; and a swirling path of green is evident among the piled earth, twigs and mud; a path where a foot of water moved swiftly across the landscape.  
     But this is a story with a good ending.  Only trees and earth were damaged.  The house stood the onslaught of wind and rain, while Judy and Geary took shelter in an interior bathroom.  Both are in their early 70s, and they will do what people of hardy stock do … they count their blessings, roll up their sleeves, and get to work.  They never asked for our help, and it was difficult for them to accept it.  They feel that it is their responsibility to take care of their own property, and believe me, they are quite capable.  In fact, we left after several hours of sawing and hauling limbs, and I'm quite sure Judy is still hard at work, as long as there is light to see by.  She has a spirit that was born and bred into her growing up in Oklahoma, and she knows how to work hard.  I told her that I wish the younger generation could see what it means to accept challenges with a can-do attitude.
     We are currently without internet access (I am writing this post at my mother-in-laws's computer in a nearby town).  We were without electricity off and on all morning.  But as Judy said, "This is nothin'.  We can survive this."  And she is right.  It may be an overused adage, but it is true that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.  The clean-up will take months, but just picture me and PLW in our boots, work gloves, and with smiles on our faces.  It's a privilege to help your neighbors, it feels good to work hard, and we are definitely thanking God for the rain!

Proverbs 24:10   "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."

2 comments:

  1. Love thy neighbor is almost a lost concept in this generation. Bless you and PLW for keeping it alive and teaching your children the ways of the Lord. Hard work is also nearly a lost concept of the young generation, seems they don't care if they are strong or responsible as long as they get their handouts and access to the social media. One has to wonder if this is the American dream of this upcoming generation. What is even more saddening is that it has become socially unacceptable and sometimes illegal, to defend or teach the ways of the Lord for fear of offending someone. It is most refreshing to see a remnant who still live by Gods word, setting the example to follow and not fearing reprisal nor offending someone, also showing others that out of disasters there is strengthening of one another, there are good things to experience and learn. Wouldn't it be great if our evening news only reported on good news, showing society what the good life is all about?

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    1. I believe that at our heart, we are still a loving and generous people. It's just that this doesn't fit the agenda of the Elites that want us to rely only on the government. The truth is that we are capable of helping ourselves and others far better than the Feds. The Holy Spirit resides in many of us, and He will never be legislated or regulated out of a faithful people. We will continue to serve others as we are led.

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