On being sick

I have been sick for a couple of weeks with a malady of some kind. It took me to the hospital for a few days due to dehydration and extreme nausea. I am home now and wondering if I am ever going to feel well again. It always feels this way when one is sick. Like, it is the end of this life because it is never going to go away. But, it probably will and I will forget about it. Hmmmm. It is not the best time to be sick, especially since I am not ready for Christmas. But, it looks like Christmas outside! It is in the 20's with snow and sleet. Pretty dramatic since it was in the 70's yesterday and many people were in short sleeves. I snapped a picture out of my patio door just to remember the occasion. It looks bleak. Still, I know that the roots go down deeper in the winter and everything gets a rest. Lord, I rest in you!

Cloud of Witnesses

I have been musing lately about the cloud of witnesses. The ones who have gone before us. The ones who carried the torch on the earth; the life of Jesus Christ in them, outside of the establishment. I am reading a book about a saint named Bakht Singh. I feel a great kinship with him. I know that he is a brother, one of the witnesses. I have a sense of being surrounded by him and the others that make up the cloud, these saints who are kin. They keep me pressing on, moving toward the goal of the high, deep calling of our Lord Jesus. They remind me that my trials and pain are not unique. They are part and parcel of Him inside of us. They are part of his suffering in us, for he is the living one in us. (I once saw someone in a movie move out of his body, and stand apart to look at himself. I was fascinated. The new him was transparent. He left the old him behind.) When I step out of my falleness, I see him as the only one alive. All else is gone. Jesus! I am so happy to be a part of the great cloud. The one that Jesus has come in. More to come as I muse on.......

It's raining!

What? Thunder and lightening? Water coming out of the sky? Yes! It is actually raining. Pour out the water Creator, and rain on my soul, quenching my spirit and overflowing on some other thirsty person.
Rain: isn't is amazing how quickly everything turns green and stands up straighter? The flowers that seemed colorless are becoming vibrant and the sidewalk smells of childhood days. Thank you Lord!

Watering

My main occupation these days is watering. I am the sprinkler system. We have had no rain and the land is panting from dryness and heat. I get up early to turn on the water and stay up late to continue since we are on a 6 to 10:00 time limit. Still the grass looks thirsty and the flowers and plants are pale and eager for the rain.
I usually fly to Seattle or some cool place in the summer to escape the heat, but this year I feel that I must stay and keep the land alive. I am thinking of the seasons and how dry we feel as believers sometimes. Yet I know that the Lord will have his desire and we will once again drink in fresh, flowing water. Meanwhile we wait and keep the ground alive for his sake.