Permeability

"For just as from the heavens

the rain and snow come down

And do not return there

till they have watered the earth,

making it fertile and fruitful,

Giving seed to him who sows

and bread to him who eats,

So shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

It shall not return to me void,

but shall do my will,

achieving the end for which I sent it."

– Isaiah 55:10-11

This passage, which is the first reading for this coming Sunday, has been on my mind recently, as I've been asked to lead a communion service at a local hospital where one of my brothers is a chaplain. I've always enjoyed its imagery for divine grace– especially as we in New England have seen a prodigious amount of snow and rain this winter and spring, producing some lovely seasonal scenery. Perhaps God has much to tell us!

I was blessed with an experience during my morning run today that hasn't happened in quite some time– I was caught in a rainstorm. After fifteen minutes of steady downpour, torrents of runoff flowed through the streets, creating small rivers that eventually, I was forced to stride through. Then it hit me– when I'm more resistant to God's presence in my life, or various blessings offered to me through daily events and interactions, perhaps the result is lots of stormy runoff. I've lately found it more challenging to be like grassy fields, verdant shrubs, or stately trees– patient with growth, depending on external influences, and "softer" than the hard, artificial surfaces on which I run. Yet it is these elements of creation that are highlighted by Isaiah, and these that I found myself admiring during my sodden spin around the neighborhood. Oddly enough, it was the act of getting soaked that encouraged me to be more open to God's word through the remainder of the day, and still motivates the journey of spiritual renewal that is one of my summer projects.

Outlet of South Pond

Salisbury CT