Summers in Franklin County, North Carolina, were hot and dry. The hotter the weather, the more parched the land. The sweltering heat covered us like a heavy wool blanket in August, smothering us, changing the landscape and peoples’ dispositions from green to brown. Even people of faith became concerned about their crops and gardens. As a child, I heard the whispers, but I did not worry. I had what I believed was a secret and magical place that I shared with my great grandmother, Iona.
There was a spring in the woods of my great grandmother’s property that, no matter how hot the weather and dry the ground, flowed with fresh cold water. What a treat it was to follow her with her wagon and buckets to that spring, to dip my toes in and get a cup of cold water. At that moment, I forgot about the heat and the parched dry land right outside the woods. The water in the buckets not only quenched my thirst but it saved my great grandmother’s flowers and small garden. Even as a child, I understood the gift my great grandmother gave me each time we went to our place.
As we travel this Lenten journey, let us reflect on and remember that our God does the same for us as we reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ who, even in the dry, parched, arid ground of our lives, can and will refresh us so that we can become a well-watered garden if we tip our toes in and take a drink.
Prayer
Father God, we thank you for your refreshing and restoring love that washes over us giving us hope and peace.
Rev. Rhonda Jordan is Associate Pastor at Jarvis Memorial UMC in Greenville