Monthly Archives: October 2018

From Rocky Mountain High,
to back alley lows
now in a pseudo-pharmacy
raised by pharmo-farmers,
sold by semi-pros,
smoked and swallowed by licensed sufferers,
deals with doctors:
gateway drug,
now welcomed in the gates,
sold civilly in cities.
Chemical inspiration: no more pain;
lack of motivation: no more gain.

Lord Jesus,
Grant each of us
seeking eyes to see Your face,
listening ears to hear Your voice,
outstretched hands to serve the poor,
a loving heart to embrace the stranger,
an honest tongue to bring justice in the earth,
and moving feet to go where peace is not yet found.
In the Name of the Word-made-flesh,
because You dwell among us.
Amen.

In the spring of 2000, in South Bend, Indiana, there was a drought.

Through some bargain book sale, I had purchased a copy of the book Healing the Land: A Supernatural View of Ecology by Winkie Pratney. After reading the book, I concluded 2 things: God can heal the land, literally, and one way He does this is as we fast and pray and humble ourselves. As the LORD says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

God made a promise, so I wanted to take Him up on that pledge. Many times in my life I had fasted in a half-hearted manner. To focus in, I decided to fast for 1 whole day. After taking my medicine one evening and having a light snack, I started fasting. By late afternoon & early evening of the fast I was thirsty and hungry … so I drank a little water and ate a small snack.

I felt horrible. I had failed.

Ok, if I failed the first day, I will try again. So I again took my medicine, ate a small snack and drank some water and went to bed.

The next day was the middle of the week. I went to work in the morning and studied in the afternoon. I was a little tired, but determined to fast. It was going to rain, I just knew it. When I walked out of the house that evening to go to the midweek Bible study and prayer meeting, I overheard the news.

“It looks like it isn’t going to rain again,” the weatherman said.

“What does he know!” I thought.

Then I went outside and realized, Oh, it doesn’t look like it is going to rain.

I drove to church in a somber mood. I listened to a devotional on the resurrection and spending time with the Lord. Then we spent time in prayer. In the group of 3 that I was in, I got to pray first.

My pride had to be confessed. I had to admit my stubbornness and my impatience and a number of other sins. They are too numerous to list in this short testimony. Basically, pride was the big one. We prayed intensely for the various needs mentioned in the Bible study common time and for the needs we each had.

When we lifted our heads and talked, we were the last group to stop praying. The newest member of the prayer group said, “Now that was some prayer!” I was still saddened by the realization about how arrogant I had been.

After the service dismissed, we walked outside and headed home. As I walked to the car, something was different. The air smelled different. There seemed to be a fresh air, but I wasn’t sure quite what it was. As I drove along the familiar way back to the house, I noticed that the streets were wet. It had rained!

My heart was joyful. Few times in my life have I been as flooded with pure joy. God had heard the cries of His people!!

I realized that my life, however small and insignificant, really does make a difference in the earth. As the season continued, the rains continued.

…

Since then and following the talk about the threat of global warming, I wonder, “What if God’s people around the world would humble themselves and pray and seek God’s face? Could it be that there would indeed be a true healing of the whole earth? The most important thing that we can do for the environment is surely to repent and return to the Lord and rest in Him.”

Broken dreams

shattered darkness

burst hot air balloons

and in the midst

of sorrow and mockery

tears break the eye

God weeps

over life lost

over paradise lost

over love lost

in a moment it is over

for a death is over

for now

we see

amazing

Grace.