June 21, 2007
I remember hearing my father talk about the great flood of the 30's in one of the towns he lived in as a child. I have forgotten exactly which town it was in Tennessee or Kentucky, nor do I remember the name of the river that overflowed its banks, but I recall vividly my father's description of seeing people hanging onto their rooftops in the midst of the deluge.
I also remember the drought of the 50's here in Dallas and how they said it would take years to fill the newly created Lake Dallas. But the drought was broken by an incredibly rainy season, and the newly formed lake was overflowing within a few months. All it took was a little rain.
Last Monday I awakened at 5:45 a.m. and, as is my habit, turned on my computer. Before I looked at my email I glanced at the weather radar and saw that there were huge storms dumping an astonishing amount of rain on the Gainesville, Lake Kiowa, Collinsville area. Siete Ranch being halfway between Lake Kiowa and Collinsville, it was in the eye of the storm. I dressed quickly and, cancelling an important trip to Arkansas, headed north.
To make a long story short, it would be twelve hours before the flood waters receded enough for me to even get to Siete, and even then I had to make an extra 40 mile loop in order to approach from the northwest rather than the southeast. Needless to say, after viewing the devastation along the way, I was grateful and relieved to find horses, cows, and property in reasonably good shape. That feeling of gratitude was heightened by news reports of lives lost and property destroyed.
What was the cause of so much distress and destruction? Rain drops. Simple, ordinary rain drops. Lots of them to be sure. But there was no hurricane such as Katrina, no tornado, no earthquake. Just rain drops. Enough of them that they turned the countryside upside down, took lives, destroyed houses and farms and equipment. On the positive side of the ledger is the fact that the lakes are finally filled, the drought is hopefully over, the land is flowing with water. Lesson Learned: even something as small as a rain drop can make a huge difference when there are lots of them.
I wonder what might happen if the millions of Christians in the world were to decide to love God and serve their neighbor with small acts of kindness all at once? No doubt about it, it would be a huge deluge of love. It might even be the beginning of the new Kingdom on earth. Small things really do make a difference.
