“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-2).
These two verses have taken on new meaning for me recently. As you may know, West Virginia has experienced severe drought this summer. I watered my little garden and hoped to reap a harvest of green beans and tomatoes. Farmers were feeding hay and hauling water to their livestock. The pastures, the lawns-all brown, dried and crispy. My soul and spirit were feeling much the same. I found myself losing interest in doing anything, except praying for rain.
As each little shower came, I thanked God for every drop and hoped it would be the beginning of a fresher season. But it was not to be until August 8. That night we received six inches of rain! It wasn’t long until I could see little bits of green appearing among the dried grasses. After several days I could see definite new growth coming in the pastures. Even the cows seemed happier as they grazed on the new growth!
I was also feeling happier! I never thought about how much the environment affected my emotions. But there was definitely a change in how I felt when I looked out at the fields of green! God sent that heavy rain and restored my soul.
I don’t know if we will continue to get rain showers regularly or not, but I’m thankful for the renewal of growing plants and flowing springs. We’re still in a drought situation so it will take some time and regular rain to bring us out of that. In the meantime, I’m trusting God to continue answering prayers, in His time. My soul is lying down in green pastures, knowing God is in control. Thank you, God!