Have The Faith

Howdy Folks, get down an’ come on out back. Coffee’s hot an’ we’ll just sit an’ have a cup while we enjoy nature’s offering. As you can see, our view today is about like watching from the edge of a lake. That backyard fills up with water after a “frog strangler” like we sometimes have. I was visitin’ with an old pard last week, an’ the subject swung around to the weather. He allowed, “ That the drought we have been sufferin’ through all this time seems likely to be broken an’ those ol’ boys that were predicting a dry spring have pert near dried up!” My guess is that they are like politicians and will have developed a series of excuses that throw the blame on whoever is on the opposite side! Texas has it’s share of “old sayings”, proverbs if you will, and one that comes to mind is, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a bit an’ it will change!” along with “the only folks that predict Texas weather have had their bell rung or maybe just new on the scene”. We sure need this dry spell to change to wet. Last summer’s dry and heat was tough for everyone around, including the catfish. The last couple of times I was fishing the dust was so thick the catfish could not see the bait and when you accidentally caught one, that fish flopping and flouncing raised such a dust that one would pert near choke up! I am glad it rained and I am just going to thank the Good Lord for seeing to it that the dust was settled enough that a feller could at least see if his cork was actually in the water! I recollect back to a time when a TV star out of Waco, Johnny Watkins, would allow that the Good Lord would bring rain about the time we were really needing it. I wrote a poem called “Have The Faith” that I would like for you to read.

Have The Faith

“How long we been needin’ a rain?” Ol’ Pard asked with a sigh.

The dust was blowin’ down the lane, Stock tanks was mostly dry.

Pastures are bare,‘cept fer some weeds, parched fields won’t make much hay.

Be hard to meet them critters needs, shore be hard fer them to stay. Haulin’ water takes a lotta time an’ still don’t quench their thirst.

Well is low an’ the

creek has slime!

Shore can’t tell which is worst.

. Hard to figger jest what to do, ‘cuz things look purty bleak.

But to this land we will be true.

Forecast calls fer rain next week.

This’un sez it will be a dry spring.

That’un sez it might be wet.

Hard to figger what it will bring, got no choice, take what you get.

Preacher held a prayer meetin’ askin’ fer help from Him.

Church house had aplenty seatin’, but the crowd was purty slim. Preacher sez, “When any feller

shows up to pray fer rain, he otta bring his umbreller, an’ faith big as a mustard grain.” Now, the Bible sez be sincere when yore askin’ of Him.

An’ the Lord will handle yore fear an’ make yore troubles grow dim. The few that we wuz, said our prayer fer rain an’ help with the stock.

Figgered what we asked fer wuz fair, ‘cuz we were part of His flock.

Then clouds turned dark, lightenin’ flashed an’ rain began to fall. We thanked the Lord, as thunder crashed, our faith had been purty small.

It came right out of the northwest, an’ we shore needed it. We figgered that we had been blest, an’ hoped it would not quit.

The rains had come, parched earth was healed, the battle had been won!

In days to come, we’d sow the fields, new crops warmed by the sun.

Spring rains have filled up all the tanks an’ things don’t look so grim.

Green grass is thick, an’ cows are slick, an’ we say thanks to Him!

© Ol’ Jim Cathey Bring your umbrella to First Baptist Marlin and we will pray for rain!

God bless each of you and God Bless America!