August in Alabama has been particularly hot and dry; three-digit, record-setting-temperatures have sapped our already depleted water supply and sucked the life out of many a blade of grass, azalea bush, and mosquito!
The drought officially began months ago, but mild temperatures and a damp July created perceptions inconsistent with the water conservation warnings. I can't wash my car or water my grass; but hey, didn't it just rain four inches in Gardendale yesterday?
[It seems like I have had a writing drought as well.]
One thought I had about the drought and "living spiritually in the everyday" is that spiritual drought can be similar to the summer drought we are having here in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
First of all, a personal spiritual drought can be masked by occasional religious fervor, activity, or even spiritual feasting. However, just like our bodies need water on a daily basis, our spiritual health must be maintained on a regular basis. If we were to binge eat and then fast for several days, our health would be compromised. Eventually, it would fail.
Living spiritually can also be feast or famine. It is tempting to rely on heavy Sunday doses of Bible, prayer, and fellowship to get through the week. However, this also compromises our spiritual health.
This deficit, or drought, may go undetected until extreme conditions/circumstances beat unrelenting upon us, and we find our spiritual reserves quickly sapped and gone. Only then do we realize how weak our condition.
Unlike the summer drought which leaves us helplessly dependent on unmanageable weather patterns, our spiritual drought can be relieved when we cry out as the psalmist for our thirst to be satisfied by the Water of Life.
Drought recovery takes time and diligence. Distance runners must constantly restore fluids and nutrients lost in a race and in training. You, too, must constantly seek renewal, restoration, and recovery as you make this journey through life. Seek the pure Water of Life, Jesus Christ, for full and deep soul-satisfaction and spiritual health.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." - Sermon on the Mount
