Dry..

This past weekend I spent about an hour and a half walking down a dry creek bed.  That creek had thick woods on each side of it.  The water has worn the ground away over the years, but it was dry now.  It was filled with trees and branches that have fallen over the years.  There was some junk in there as well, probably from a neighboring property.  It was filled with the remnants of things that used to be good and useful. 

It got my mind working.  I started thinking of the areas in my life that have run dry like the creek bed.  The parts of my life that are filled with hurt.  Areas that still have the pain from failures.  Sections that have never seen the light or felt life.   I can surely think of a few. 

What I saw farther in my walk was a flower growing amongst the decay and junk.  That got me fired up.  It made me realize that even in times of trials, hard times, and the rottenness of this world, we can still have something beautiful.  I also saw some lizards moving around which is cool.  One snake was spotted but it slithered away into the darkness as it should. 

Applying this to our lives is fairly straightforward.  See the good, work on the bad, and keep pushing forward.  The keep pushing forward part is the tough one.  It is easy to give up when there is no clear way forward.  It seems logical to just give up trying all together.  Others around you may even try to keep you down.  Don’t allow any of those things to happen.  Be the lone flower in the room.  Let your light shine and overtake the darkness.  It takes someone who has been torn down and rebuilt to change the world.  You aren’t limited by your hard times; the hard times are what prepares you for the good times heading your way.  That is if we keep pushing and keep our eyes up. Jesus said in the book of John:

“But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 NLT

Even in our worldly lives we can be in a dry season, but if we focus on the source of the water, we can tap into the living water.  I have found myself going through. The ups and downs in my spiritual life over the years.  The general consensus is when I am in the word, I’m a better man.  I am doing life better, I am a better father, I am a better person. 

I encourage you to look at those dry areas of your life and put the work into getting some water on them.  You will be glad you did.