Change Is Inevitable!
Two months, just two months ago we came to the mountains.
There have been so many changes – changes in the beauty of nature, changes in our daily routine and mostly changes in our hearts.
When we first came to the mountain on June 4, the pasture grasses were yellow green from lack of water. The under growth was crunchy and dry. The fishing was poor, but I don’t know the reason for that. The rules of the campground were dictated by a Level 2 Red Fire alert so there were no fires, except for the ones of a propane stove.
We arrived needing rest. Our daily routine consisted of taking our coffee under the awning, walking through the campground several times a day but mostly we sat and rested, and we were content with that. No TV, no internet and very little phone or text messaging. We read, we talked, we prayed.
Our interaction with other campers was limited to a polite “hello” and “where do you come from”.
But two months have gone by, and we have changed and so have our surroundings.
Yesterday was day number thirty-two of rain. The rains began to lightly fall on July 1. They have continued to increase in the amount of daily rainfall. A normal, good shower would last an hour – soaking in and cooling the temperature but yesterday it was an all-day rain.
Oh, what a refreshing!
As we talk with campers who are heading home, they are sad to leave. “We can’t wait to come back. It’s beautiful here. We love the rain, the meadow grasses, the wildflowers, the mushrooms, the wildlife”. That’s not the reaction of one or two but it’s the sentiment of most.
“The land that you will get is not like the land of Egypt that you came from. In Egypt you planted your seeds and used your feet to pump water from the canals to water your fields like a vegetable garden. 11 But the land that you will soon get is not like that. In Israel there are mountains and valleys, and the land gets its water from the rain that falls from the sky. 12 The Lord your God cares for that land. The Lord your God watches over it, from the beginning to the end of the year.
13 “The Lord says, ‘You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. If you do that, 14 I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14 ERV
Not only has the land received rain, but our hearts have also been moistened with love and compassion. People we didn’t know two months ago have become friends that we know we will share a connection with for years to come.
Campers that we only see for a few days and are gone have filled us with meaningful conversation and opportunities for prayer.
Two months. Two months of change. God appointed change!
When we open the doors of our heart, when we follow the Father’s lead, He sends “rain”, the rain of His love and compassion, and we go from dry to refreshed.
This refreshing doesn’t just come from being in the mountains and it isn’t exclusively for us. Not in the slightest! The Lord wants to shower all of our lives with His goodness.
The change He brings is wonderful and inevitable!