Welcome to the Ranch!

God has heard our prayers and He has used this winter to replenish our land. Throughout December, January, and now February, we have received inches and inches of rain. We observed how the first rains soaked the parched earth and disappeared leaving little evidence of their momentary appearance on the soil. The earth drank deep trying to quench its thirst.

As the weeks passed and more rain fell, we observed how slowly puddles formed in the ruts of the dirt road. The sun quickly evaporated the water or it slowly soaked into the soil. To my bare feet (the winter has been quite mild), the ground felt saturated and replenished. The cracks in the soil were no longer.

The rains continued and the puddles formed pools of water trickling downhill. The dry creeks were filled with run-off and the ponds were once more brimming with water. For the first time in a long time, you had to consider the possibility of getting stuck as you drove across the pasture. The trees, bushes, plants, and grasses relished in the life-giving liquid sent from heaven. The land is healing. God has heard our prayers!

Even more rain falls in torrents. Creeks swell and water spills over some roadways. The water level in our lake climbs a foot. You cannot walk anywhere without sinking in gooey mud. No longer can you drive through the pasture unless you are riding on a tractor.

The kids are unhappy at the prospect of yet another day spent indoors. My garden plot longs to be tilled and sowed, but is currently only suitable for growing rice. How much rain will fall? I fight the temptation to complain. Mud and wet footprints spoil my tile floor. I fight harder.

Why do I think that I know better than God? To combat my temptation to complain, I search for something. Something for which to be grateful. Something to share with my children, who are also fighting their own temptations to wish all this rain away.

I say, “I love hearing the sound of rain falling on our metal roof.”

They look at me surprised and a bit puzzled. I press the oldest in the room, “What do you love about the rain?”

Kyla looks out the window. “I like watching the drops of rain fall into the puddles.”

“Ohhh, yes! It is beautiful to watch the circles dance across the surface. Thank you for sharing that with us.”

We continued to go around the room making ourselves find some reason to be grateful for the rain. I reminded them and myself that rain is a blessing. We need to be thankful and guard our hearts from discontent. We don’t know what the future has in store, but God does. We can trust in Him to give us what we need when we need it.