A Dry Spell

Last weekend I made my first trip back to the farm since December. The early signs of spring were emerging. The young peach tree growing crookedly by the tool shed is covered with pink blossoms attracting a half dozen black butterflies. The red oak on the side of the shed is putting out its buds on every branch. I walked under its branches and heard a buzz like flowing electricity. I looked around for the source of the sound and noticed that every bud had its own honeybee. They were everywhere. It was the last day of February and it was 96 degrees by the afternoon. It is spring in South Texas.

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time the fields were green with the emergence of our wheat crop. But we were on the leading edge of a drought that would profoundly affect much of the state over the following year. We are in the middle of it now and there is no end in sight.

September 2007-May 2008 (the period during which we had wheat in the ground) was the driest on record (25% drier than the previous record). Last June was the second driest in history. The rest of the summer, fall, and winter did nothing to improve conditions. Forecasts are for things to continue or worsen at least through May. As you can see on the map, Wilson County is right in the middle of the most extreme drought conditions in the state.

Jesus said that God causes rain to fall on both the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). That would be nice.

I don’t know what role drought plays in the ecology of the land, but I do know that dry periods in the spiritual life are seasons of preparation for something new. The desert serves as the setting for important events in the lives of God’s people. Moses, Israel, Elijah, David, Jesus, and Paul all spent time in these dry places. It is the case in the lives of God’s people that the dry periods prepare us for more.

I’m eager for the rain to fall in Floresville. I look forward to the wildness of the land when its thirst is fully quenched. Meanwhile, we plant nothing and wait on the only one who can provide rain.