Good ole' fashion fun at a Sunday church gathering yields peace in troubled times

Lone Oak First Baptist Church in Paducah, Kentucky provided local families with a good ole' fashion outdoor, socially distanced, pumpkin patch pickin' fun day. It's the little things and the simple things that will keep Americans from calling 'uncle' through these troubled times. 

As we witness the coronavirus swiftly making it's way across our country once again in a second wave of positive cases, one may wonder when it might end. The resurgence of CoV-2 around the world is happening in countries like France and Spain that had, until September, seen a flattening of the curve. India's cases have risen quickly and there's no sign of a slow down. Increases in cases in South America find a continent already hit hard by starvation and other mysterious diseases at a crossroad.  

The emotional toll is gripping. All the sadness, disparity, divisiveness, and uncertainty burdens our hearts.  And the physical reality of death, job loss, food insecurity, and street violence compresses our minds.  

Today was a day to forget your troubles. The pumpkin patch event at  Lone Oak First Baptist Church in Paducah was mega miles away from the hurt and pain happening in the world. For a brief moment, church families came together and climbed hay stacks, slid down hills on folded moving boxes and enjoyed picking a pumpkin out of the church soccer field turned pumpkin patch. 

The youth group at the church entertained families with a couple of mini-plays. The first was 'Three little Christian piggies.' Yes, it sounds corny and it was, however, everybody was sitting around on their socially-distanced individual bales of hay, eating popcorn from a bag and drinking apple cider. The children laughed and the parents smiled. 

There was food. There's always food at a church gathering. Food trucks were brought in to feed hungry pumpkin lovin' folks. The selection was crispy fried chicken in a waffle cone, Coney dogs, BBQ pork, and flavored shaved ice. 

The hot, sunny afternoon had everyone in good spirits. The fresh air was  invigorating. Once you climbed the big hill leading up to the soccer field on the church property, pumpkins were as abundant as seashells by the seashore. The children were free as birds to run through the rows and rows of pumpkins until they found the perfect one for them. Cost of a huge carving pumpkin was $1. It's hard to believe that some of the nurseries in town charge $12 per pumpkin. Impossible you might think. 

After each child picked the perfect pumpkin, anyone that wanted or needed a ride back to their car on a tractor trailer covered in bales of hay, could do so. However, it was tough to social distance in this environment. 

All and all, it was a pretty great day. Look for the little things to do during these unimaginable times. It will give you a new appreciation for all things moving forward.