September 9, 2024
“For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.” ~ Isaiah 44:3 NLT
I spent several hours over the weekend weeding the various garden beds in our yard. The drought this summer not only killed off some garden plants, but also seemed to be the death knoll of many weeds. The corn I planted never did get sweet, and from all appearances my tomato plants were not going to yield a single fruit. Rod didn’t need to mow the grass for the better part of a month because it stopped growing and browned out.
And then, like a first sip of water when your feeling especially parched, the rains came. The grass is growing like crazy and back to needing mowed twice a week. I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with. Some of the plants that I thought were dead have blossomed with new glory. And of course, so have the weeds.
Now thriving begonias
This time around, the blessing of the rain and the signs of new and renewed life have brought a sense of wonder and gratitude for how resilient nature is. Even the weeds seem less bothersome because of the joy of abundance. Just add a bit of water.
The prophet Isaiah draws a parallel between the way water quenches our thirst and irrigates parched fields, and the gift of Spirit being poured into our lives. The joy of seeing blooms, the assurance that the investment in planting and nurturing was worth the effort, has lifted my soul even as my back ached from weeding.
Just add water – H2O – and voila, life thrives once again! May Spirit do the same in our lives in community today. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 