Rural Community

This is something I am not used to. I've heard of it, and watched old-timey tv shows that portrayed it, but I have never experienced real small-town community. (Of course, I've always felt and known the attachment and community within Sovereign Grace Church! I'm speaking of the actual postal community one lives in - which for me has always been divergent from SGC community life.)

I don't remember what it felt like to live in the community I was born into, because my family moved when I was very young. I have a vague and happy memory of being able to walk to the pool with Momma and Thanel, where we spent our summers. But that is all. When we moved to the City of Oaks, I remember the neighbors being kind, but rather uninvolved, save for one elderly couple that would watch Thanel and Nemmy every Monday while Momma and I ran errands.

Then we moved to "the country" and the folks there were not kind at all - civil, yes - but I think they rather resented our being there. There is something to be said here about the ugly side of "Southern hospitality" but I shall save that diatribe for another time. Let's just say they adored my younger brother, but I never felt that we were welcomed as a whole. There was too much Yankee blood in our veins.

Then, to be nearer the church, my family moved again, this time to a semi-rural area. Everyone is rather spread out, and I still have only met the neighbors whose house you can see from my parents'. At least there is a general sense of belonging, even if my family is still meeting close-by neighbors after these many years.

Then the Steward and I were married, and he took me to live in the community where he had grown up, where folks know him and he knows them. What a joy it is! Of course, they knew all about me before I came and it has been my challenge to get to know the names and faces that I'd heard about from Husband's family. Apparently, Ferret and the Steward are very well liked and well thought-of (as they are handsome, hardworking young men) and I'm still trying to work out the rest of why Husband's family is quite so "famous" in our little circle. I think it might have to do with Mr. T.? (Any enlightenment here, Mary??) Perhaps it is only because it is such a small community - any thing, no matter how insignificant, is of interest. Speaking of which - there are no secrets in Inez. I hardly think any great number of the people in the church knew, but there was a fundraiser lunch last November at the fire station, and everyone congratulated the Steward and I on both counts, our recent marriage and that we were expecting - I was only 8 weeks along! News travels fast here. :P

Still though, what made me think about this was the fact that the ladies of Inez threw a baby shower for Little One, Husband and me last Sunday. Now, until that shower I had never met most of these women! I know Dr. O'M. and the firemen's wives, and Ms. J. who teaches BJ piano - and I am fairly well blown away by the circumstance that for the simple fact that I am married to the Steward and because we happen to live in Inez, the ladies of the community throw a shower to bless our family. (Two-thirds of which they've not met!) I still can hardly fathom it. My heart is impressed by the warmth of this community, and I hope to live here a long while and do my part to bless and support the wonderful folk here. Maybe I can implement Will'sWife's strategy of handing over a cute, well-fed baby for someone to hold. That seems to do wonderfully...