Taking a drink from the river of life.......

I am not much of a "flower" person.  Over the years, we have discovered that the less we do with flowers in our landscape, the better.  We used to have one giant planter that would hold flowers.  That went away and we went to a couple of smaller pots.  A few years ago we had a couple of hanging plants on metal plant crooks.  I saved those pots and the stands thinking maybe I would use them again.  And this year was the year.  We were on vacation during the typical planting times for us.  So somewhere around the first of July, we finally got a couple of plants.  It was certainly "clearance" time at the garden centers, so we took whatever we could find.  And honestly, they have looked really nice.....until the last week or so.

No matter how much water I pour on them, they are drooping by the end of the day.  I've had to begin watering them twice a day!  The amazing thing is that no matter how bad they look before the water, they seem to "come back to life" after a big drink from the hose.  I have to confess, I have been sort of aggravated at these plants this summer!  I much prefer flowers that I can just ignore and occasionally admire as I drive up to the house.  This morning as I was just about to leave the house, I noticed the sad, droopy flowers.  So I got out of the car and began the process of getting the hose out to water them.  I was not doing this with a good attitude!  As a matter of fact, it was garbage day today and I considered just dumping the pots into the trash!  Really!  

And then I heard that very small, still voice of the Holy Spirit saying "You need to stop and take a drink of the Living Water".  What!!!!!  So I stood there and watered those flowers for quite a bit longer than any other morning, thinking about what I had been seeing, right under my nose, all summer.  This is a perfect picture of what happens to us, out in the heat of the world.  We get dry and droopy and don't look so good.  As a matter of fact, we even look like we are totally dead!  What we need is a good drink of the living water of the Holy Spirit.   Without that water, we are not very pleasant to see or be around.  We lose everything that makes us appealing to the world.  WOW!

I have felt a bit "dry" lately.  I get those watering times, but I am not spending enough time taking a drink of Jesus.  It's pretty interesting how easy it is to forget to do that.  I have been so wanting some time away, by some large body of water.  For me, this is the way that I get recharged.  Part of that time away is spending lots of time drinking in all that Jesus is saying to me.  But I got the message today.  I need to be sure to take those daily....even twice daily breaks and spend time with Jesus.  That will water my spirit.  And I am sure that just like my flowers, I will be looking better AND feeling better!  

Jesus, thank you for this reminder of how important it is to stay well "hydrated" in the Living Water!  Help us all to take time out each day to be refreshed by you.  Holy Spirit, give us all those nudges when we start to fade and dry out.  Jesus, thank you for bring your life into us!  Amen