In order for our family to go any direction from our neighborhood we have to pass corn fields. I love watching each summer as an empty, flat field is transformed into a field of towering bright green stalks of corn. My favorite is walking the “farm road” in our neighborhood and having the corn rise on each side of the road, seemingly creating a tunnel with the blue sky as the roof.
According to the US Drought Monitor website (droughmonitor.unl.edu), a large portion of the country is in some level of a drought. While our area may not be in an extreme drought, we are “abnormally dry” which has left the corn fields looking haggard unless the enormous sprinklers are propelling water onto the thirsty soil.
I began to notice the corn stalks looking withered and curled last week as we were going to and from Vacation Bible School. I commented to my kids about the difference between a field that was well watered versus one that was not. I was actually fascinated as we drove past each field, noticing the stark difference between the two.
The well watered field had corn stalks reaching up to the skies, with bright green leaves hanging out to the side, almost as if basking in the life-giving sunshine. The dry fields had corn stalks that seemed to shrink back from the skies, with their leaves curled inward, almost as if to hide as much of themselves from the heat of the scorching sun.
The well watered stalks were soft and open. The dry stalks were brittle and closed.
I again commented on how amazing the difference was. My oldest daughter thoughtfully said, “Mom, you should write a blog post about this!” I was intrigued at what was going through her mind. “What would it be about?” She began to make a connection that I hadn’t yet and I was so proud of her. When we got home, I asked her to write a blog post for me. She initially said no, allowing some fear to weigh into her decision, but then she came around.
So here is her post –
“You know how plants need water to grow? Of course corn needs it too. These past few weeks my family has been seeing and talking about how much water corn gets and that you can see the difference of whether it gets a lot or none. You can be like that with your faith in God. You can be like the watered corn and get poured into by Jesus just like with water or…you can be the dry corn and not get poured into by Jesus just like corn without water. So…we all need to be like the watered corn and get poured into by Jesus.” (Her words, including the ellipses…).
Her 9 year old mind saw the connection between water and drought, Jesus and no Jesus, life and death.
My message today is simple –
Jesus is water for your soul.
Life without Jesus is drought for the soul.
Life with Jesus causes your heart to be soft to Him and others, and to be open to receiving His blessing and His way.
Life without Jesus causes you to shrink, turn dry and brittle, longing for water for your soul.
Life with Jesus causes you to bask in the glory of His light.
Life without Jesus causes you to hide from the one who knows you best, the true Light.
Life with Jesus is life abundant.
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38
God, may rivers of living water flow from within us.
