For most people who called the small, rural community nestled near the mountains at the edge of the Palouse country their home, life usually was pretty slow paced. News of events in the outside world only arrived sporadically. Occasionally, someone would travel the thirteen to fourteen miles to the city of Palouse on business and return with a copy of The Palouse News, a weekly publication. The paper usually ended up on a counter at the small general store where it would be looked at by customers for a period of weeks. It was well read.
Though life might have seemed slow to some, there was always plenty to talk about when folks came into the store to purchase something, visit the tiny post office located at the back of the building, or simply came to lounge around the stove and its warmth in the winter. In the summer people congregated on the porch of the store to visit and catch up on things.
It was at one of the early spring gatherings on the porch of the general store that the Old Codger came up in the discussion. The talk about him soon came around to the fact that no one present had seen him for quite a period of time. In fact, as the discussion progressed the group of folks gathered that morning realized no one had seen the Old Codger for many months—maybe even close to a year!
One of the men present walked over to the blacksmith shop a short distance away and spoke with the smithy about the Old Codger. His habit was always to stop there the first thing when he came to town. It was soon learned the smithy hadn’t seen the man for at least 10-11 months. When the news was reported to the group on the porch at the post office, one of the men stated that the Old Codger had “lived too long alone on Bear Creek.” Something must have happened to him!
Ecclesiastes chapter four contains these thoughts about being alone: 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
I agree that times of solitude and being alone can be worthwhile—for a time! We need to have friends and acquaintances we can rub shoulders with on a regular basis. The warmth of the stove in winter at the general store, and the coolness of the porch during the spring and summer, were places where folks could rub shoulders with each other and develop friendships that often lasted a lifetime. I hope you have places where you meet with people regularly. Well balanced lives need that!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for our friends and those people you have blessed our lives with over the years. Thank you for the church, which provides a wonderful place to develop close friendships that can truly last for a lifetime! Help me to be a good friend to others, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Pastor Bill
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
