Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Lessons from a Drought

Took my daughter to Bayland Park for soccer practice last night.  The drought has really done a number on it.  Deep cracks in the dirt, dust patches where the nightly throw-together soccer teams scratch out their goals... I felt like I was walking on the moon as I circled the walking trail. 

So I looked over to the soccer field where my daughter's team was practicing.  It was green and bee-yoo-ti-ful!  Well, compared to the yellow, dusty field with scraggly dying trees anyway.  I decided to circle the green field instead.  It smelled fresh and when the wind blew across it, there was almost a coolness accompanying it.  It IS 97 plus degrees most days...actually it was over 100 degrees for 17 straight days in August. 

As I enjoyed the breeze and watched the sky darken and color the clouds salmon and pink, I realized that this scene is an analogy for the world.  Most people plod around a bleak track with dust in their eyes just following behind the guy in front of them, when nearby is a verdant, cool dwelling place where they can be refreshed!

Now the soccer field has a fence around it.  It's not really open to everyone.  Only those who are members of the Westbury Soccer team (and families) can be there.  So really, no one on that dusty walking track could go to the field.

If you are a believer you know where I'm headed with this!  :D  Ok, even if you aren't, it's pretty clear.  To become a member of God's team, we have to go through the gate of Jesus.  We have full privileges of the team! 

Walking in the living, refreshing presence of God is a place of comfort and renewal for us when we have to head back to the "track." How many days have I plodded through without taking the time to head to the richness of His "field?" How often do I forget that God is love?

I walked around that field till the sun slipped out of the sky and the clouds turned purple.  I felt refreshed!

As the old worship song goes, "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in His house than to spend my whole life somewhere else..." (from Psalms I believe.)