While my friends on the West Coast are concerned about flooding and overflowing reservoirs, it is dry and drier here in Denver. Fortunately the Colorado mountain snowpack is good (which is our household water source). But the soil in Denver is dry, dry, dry.
I was curious about just how dry it is, since I tend to forget exact details about past snow, other than knowing that March is normally our snowiest month. From September through February our normal Denver snowfall is 35.1 inches. This year, with one week left in February, we are at 17.7 inches. Yep, it’s dry. Our total in Denver for the whole snow season is 57.1 inches in a normal year.
It is supposed to be 75 degrees and windy today – with a “red flag” warning for fire danger. Fires are unusual in February, but not this year!
While there is snow forecast for later in the week, it is likely to be less than 2 inches. Just enough to dampen the top-level of soil, but not enough to provide deep watering for the roots of trees and shrubs. I hand-watered several parts of my garden last weekend, knowing that the water deficit will affect the long-term health of my garden.
Seems like “dry” is going to be a theme of Flowers for Your Soul – even if I’d rather have a different theme. I looked back and noticed that I had a post called “Parched” in October. In that post, I talked about how dryness in my soul can be watered by meditating on God’s Word. Since dryness might be a recurring theme, I’m taking a different approach this time …
Dependent People
We are truly dependent on water. As modern, technological people, we don’t really like to be dependent on anything or anyone. Independence is an American value, and the idea that we can rise above circumstances and control our environment is ingrained in our psyche. But actually, even in our “advanced” civilization, we are still at the mercy of natural forces. And water is going to be a big issue for coming generations, particularly in the Western United States (and in many parts of the world).
As I pondered our dependence on water, I thought back to the people of Israel, in their desert quest. The people of Israel were dependent when they left slavery in Egypt to head out into the desert with Moses on what they thought was a short journey. When they ran out of water, they quarreled and got angry at God and Moses and Aaron:
“If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:3-5)
After Moses and Aaron fell facedown before God, God instructed Moses to strike the rock with his staff in view of the whole community, so they would see the miracle of water gushing out of the rock. Abundant water. Plenty for all the people and livestock. God provided water – to a dependent people.
When dryness is deep in my soul, I have to realize that I can’t fix this deep dryness by my own action. I am a dependent person, dependent on God and His Spirit to provide water to assuage my deep thirst. This kind of dependence is something I may quarrel with, just as the Israelites quarreled with God and their leaders, but quarreling doesn’t fill my deep need.
The only water that satisfies comes from the One who can provide for our deepest thirst – “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
Will you take a drink of that water today? Will I? Join me in learning to be dependent on God as our source of filling.
Note about the pictures: The hose and crocuses are from my garden on 2/19/17. The waterfall picture is from a hike on Kauai, the garden island, a place with abundant water (11/16).
Flowers For Your Soul 