Wet Perception

There are three lakes that feed the water supply here in Midland, Texas: Lake Spence, Lake J.B. Thomas, & Lake Ivie.  All three lakes were at record lows at the beginning of 2011 with less than 3%, 6%, & 33%  respectively. In fact, we rely heavily on the Colorado River Municipal Water District to supply most of the water to our drought stricken city. Water restrictions enforce us to only water the lawn for 2 hours a week on certain days. Some of us have resorted to installing low-flush toilets, taking showers with 5 gallon buckets to capture excess water, and running gray water out to the lawn.

So it comes as no surprise that we were all very thankful for the recent rainfall. In fact, this has been the wettest season I've seen since I have lived in Midland. In fact, the first time it rained after the drought, I took the kids outside to have a party on the porch and thank our God for the blessing.

As I was thinking about our fortune, I couldn't help but think about the misfortune elsewhere. While we were gratefully enjoying the down pour, hurricanes Nadine, Kristy & Tropical Depression Twelve-E are slamming our coasts on all sides. Understandably, residents along the coast line are not as excited about the rain as Midland residents.

Thinking about this makes me appreciate God's grace & discipline. He doesn't answer every prayer with yes and He has the whole "thing" sorted out. He knows when our blessings cause others to hurt (because of sin) and while we experience blessings in life, it is a reminder that we are still dependent on Him. Those less fortunate should be ever present on our minds as we continue to lift them up in prayer, seeking to meet their needs from the excess outpouring in our own lives. We should be thankful & enjoy what God has given us, but never at the expense of humbleness & compassion.