A Season of Refreshing
Dad and Mom bought 33 acres of flood-ravaged farmland in Ash County, NC, in the early 1940's. An old frame house had suffered the storm and withstood the elements. Tubs of hot water and lysol soap with lots of elbow grease cleansed the house and made it safe for human habitation. No running water. Spring water across the field.
In time, with six children, Dad and Mom recovered the land. Restored it with painstaking effort to be a productive farm that supported our family and made it possible for us to be generous to others. What had been bought for $600 was sold in the early 1950’s for $11,000. Some said it was the highest price paid for farmland in that county up to that time.
I was one of the children who worked on the farm. My job was to carry wood into the house for heating and cooking, and to take care of the chickens. Jim and Bradley were responsible for the larger animals. The girls helped with chores in the house and such things as were thought proper for girls to do outside, considering they wore dresses and skirts.
In the summer the entire family would be off to the mountains and valleys to pick berries. Mom canned hundreds of jars of vegetables, jams, jellies, apple butter, etc.
Harvest time was exciting. Fields of grain. Rows of potatoes. Beans to be picked.
What was not fun was the preparation work. First, the only horse pulled the plow through the field. Then it was time to pick up rocks. Rocks. Where do they come from? We wondered if they grew. Each year a new crop of rocks surfaced in the fields. The horse would pull the sled, and we would pitch rocks no gloves onto the sled. The rocks would be hauled to the road and unloaded by hand into the areas most threatened by mud.
After the planting, we had to chop weeds out of the corn. Painstakingly, weeds were removed. Sometimes the weeds were too close to the corn. We had to hand-pull the weeds. Hot. Oh, it could get so hot. The rows looked as long as eternity, especially when we were where we could see the swimming hole in the creek.
If all went well, the time came to bring in the corn, beans, wheat, potatoes, and other important foods. My heart is refreshed for the memory of seeing bushels of rewards for our hard work.
Here at Covenant we have picked rocks out of the fields. We have labored in the noonday sun. There have been times when it was hot and dry, and then cold, with blustery winds. There have been times when weeds grew up close to the vegetables. There have been times when we have had to prayerfully work our way through the fields to protect the harvest.
How happy I am that God is now giving us a season of refreshing. We are in a blessed time. We are stretching for the future. Praise the Lord!
This week we hope to complete the present construction project. Plans are for you to be able to walk through this Sunday, Lord willing.
This week we added Zenas and Lisa Choi to our pastoral staff. Zenas and Lisa are graduates of Gordon College, with degrees in Youth Ministry and Social Work, respectively. Zenas has already put his hands to the task of building the youth group. Our numbers for Winterfest youth event in March are back to original count. His heart is discipleship, relationship, and service. The response of the youth to him is positive. Zenas has also joined the choir as a musician. We are blessed that Zenas and Lisa were already coming to Covenant when the need for a new Youth Pastor presented itself. They have a son Devon and are expecting their second child in August. Welcome to the Chois!
And we are eagerly anticipating our ANNUAL MISSIONS CONFFERENCE in just two weeks! This is also a time of revival and excitement at Covenant. Please see the announcement and schedule elsewhere in this bulletin.
We are blessed!!! Thank God for this time of refreshing!!!
With love,
Pastor Bare
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself (Proverbs 11:25 KJV).