O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all those who seek thy kingdom and its
righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat thee, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to thy honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (from the Book of Common Prayer)
For my mommy friends out there, three days of nonstop rain, a yard turned into a mudhole, and two small children at home may seem like a nightmare. But for us, it is a gift. Our life has been filled with drought and unseasonable heat since the beginning of August. It has done terrible things for our land, not to mention my mental state. Our congressmen just petitioned for aid for our farmers this week, our governor was preparing for a state of emergency, and we were days away from even more severe water restrictions. And so we are giving thanks today, for the steady rain that is washing the land and reviving our souls, bringing the coolness of Autumn to our land.
And even as I give thanks, I am reminded that ours is a small difficulty. For others in this country, drought has led to fires more terrifying than I can imagine. For many around the world, who don't even have clean drinking water, our "drought" is still unimaginable plenty. We live in a land of great abundance that has numbed us to our responsibility for conserving our resources. I am thankful for the rain, but I am also thankful for the drought and the lessons that it can bring.
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains,
and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may
safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation,to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP)
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2 comments:
I am glad you have been refreshed - both your environment and your soul.
Have you ever heard the song "Gratitude" by Nicole Nordeman? It is all about asking God for things like food and rain and peace but then asking Him to make us content with what we have should he choose not to grant us those things. I listened to it over and over after Micah died, trying to make it my prayer even when I didn't feel it. The emotion of asking to be content with what I have and who I am is strong sometimes for me. Your comment about lessons in drought made me think of it...
that was a good word, 2square. thx for the refreshment.
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