Be The Drip

We have been enjoying some beautiful weather in the days following our last snow storm. The sun has been shining and the snow has been quickly disappearing. I am pretty happy with that development as I am totally ready for the Spring season.

As I went outside last night to lock the girls in for the night I walked out of the garage door to warmer temperatures. I stood for a bit and just listened to the steady drip….drip….drip of the snow melting off the rooftops and dropping to the ground below.

The steady dripping of each drop of water was slowly melting the icy snow that lay on the ground below the eaves. It is always amazing to me how those single drops of water have that much power. Those single drops can slowly wear down banks of pristine white snow, melt blocks of ice and slowly smooth edges of solid rock.

Standing there watching and listening to those sparkling droplets got me to thinking. Perhaps, we should be drips! Look how much a single drop affects it’s surroundings. It waters plants and brings them back to life…it wears away all those rough edges…it slowly washes away the grime and makes things fresh and new.

Those droplets don’t worry about running out….they just keep dropping until they have given everything and have nothing left. The beauty of it is….the dew comes in the night and they are renewed. The next morning there is a new batch of drops that can get on with the job of being drips.

Those little drops speak the promise of spring weather to come. They speak of life and so much promise. They may be small, but they are not insignificant. In many ways we are like those tiny drops of moisture. We might think we are small but we, are not insignificant and we have so much to offer.

We might, at times, be tempted to believe the lies that our lives don’t matter. We might believe that we are only one person and can’t affect anything. But we can! Like those steady little drops, we can make a difference in ways we cannot begin to imagine.

We were created to make a difference. We were created to be a blessing to those around us and be blessed in return……we were, indeed, created to be drips

I will be at a women’t retreat this weekend so I will be out of touch for a bit. I am hoping to be a drip at that retreat. I am praying to make a difference in someone’s life. I am also praying that someone drips on me! It is always good to have your soul watered and then pour that blessing out on someone else.

If you find yourself feeling dry as dust this week I pray you will be blessed by that small steady drip. May you be filled up to overflowing….to the point where you become the drip.

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
New International Version

Solitude

Today we had one of those wonderful winter days that don’t resemble winter at all. It was a day that gave a glimpse into the possibility and the eventual coming of spring. Our temps were in the upper forties.

It was a beautiful day for a walk down the gravel road. The weather was so mild, I even took off my coat! Yes, for those of you that live in areas that do not experience winter and it’s subzero temperatures…..this was a balmy day.  It was a day to walk, ponder and enjoy the solitude that is a warm winter day in Iowa.

The ditches were running with small streams of water, fed by melting snow from the fields. The fields look barren and brown at this point; but are ripe with the promise of lush green crops that will be growing in them in a few short months. So much of life is like that. There is always the promise of something better even when things look dead and lifeless.

The girls enjoyed wandering about, picking at seeds
that have been uncovered as the snowbanks have been disappearing. They are ever hopeful in their search for any leftover treats from this past summer.
They are usually rewarded for their diligence in the search for those bits of grass and seeds. They somehow know that I also will give in and toss them some slices of bread just to make them happy.

This beautiful day ended the way it began…..quiet, hushed and with a time of solitude. To stand outside; in the waning daylight is nothing short of magical. The stars start coming out to grace the night sky. There is always the sound of the last quiet rustlings of birds settling in for the night.

The girls in their coop, fuss as they jockey for positions on the roost. Distant sounds filter in on the wind of a train whistling as it makes it’s way through the dimming light. It is a lonely sound and makes me wonder where it is going and what kind of load it has.

I loved standing on my porch tonight. I loved enjoying watching as the day came to a close and night closed in. The moon shone brightly over those brown fields. Fields that are ripe with the promise of the coming Spring…… and life was filled with contentment.

There’s a difference between solitude and loneliness.
Maggie Smith
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/solitude.html

True silence is the rest of the mind,
and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body,
nourishment and refreshment.
-William Penn