Out of the Drought

The sound of rain hitting the rooftops or windows used to be one of my favorite sounds. Used to be is key in that statement. Those of you in the Beulah area know how endless the rain has seemed to be over the last couple of weeks. For those of you outside the area, I'll simply say that in the past two weeks we have broken the previous record for spring rainfall. So, on those rare occasions, those brief days when the clouds vanish and the sun shines, Ezekiel and I spend every possible minute outside. On Saturday, after nearly two days of non-stop rain, we were strolling around the neighborhood after our morning walk. It was glorious: white fluffy clouds (not rain-producing ones), beautiful blue sky, and warm sunshine. As we passed one house, I noticed a lady outside watering her flowers. I shook my head, thinking how ridiculous that was given all the rain we'd had. But after a moment, her actions made me think.

There are times when I feel saturated in the Word of God. Times at camps, retreats, conferences, where I feel so refreshed, so renewed, so solid and so strong in my faith. Those time are wonderful. I love that feeling.

But let's be honest: those feelings never last. I enter times of drought. Times when Scripture seems so dry, where I feel like I've heard it all, where I seem . . . stuck. Those times aren't so wonderful; and unfortunately, they seem to happen more often than I'd like. I don't like these feelings.

So when I saw that lady out watering her flowers, I thought about how I need continual nourishment. Daily waterings. Those "spiritual highs" aren't enough to sustain me and won't get me through the times of drought. What will get me through those times of drought is Him. Jesus. The Word. My Savior.

Thankfully my salvation is not dependent upon on how I feel about my current spiritual state. It's all Him; it's all His grace. But drawing near to Him is not going to happen on its own. As a checklist person, I'd like a list to follow; "Do a-b-c, and then you will feel closer to God today," - but it doesn't work like that.

So what am I going to do? I guess I'll start praying - pray for a new heart, a new spirit, a renewed joy (Psalm 51:10-12). And seek Him. Seek Him diligently (2 Chronicles 16:11). Intentionally set aside that time (even if it's on the toilet) to plunge into His Word for those few precious moments alone (because as a mom, sometimes those are my only moments alone!). Use that four mile walk to commune with Him (Mark 1:35). And looking back at that, it sure looks like an "a-b-c" list. But I hope and pray Jesus never becomes someone I simply check off on my to-do list

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." - James 4:8, NASB