We’re in a dry spell. As I write this, rivers and streams are down to a trickle. There are brown spots burned into Mom’s yard where huge rocks underground have baked the grass roots. And the lawn mower blades are finding new rocks that were never there before but are surfacing now because the ground is so dry and compact.
     I recall one summer it was so dry the water in the cistern on the hill went too low and debris got in the line causing us to “run out of water”. Dad’s go-to solution was blowing out the debris with an air compressor. Mom really encouraged him to fix it because we happened to be hosting a family reunion that weekend,  and 100 cousins had to have someplace to relieve themselves! So when the air compressor method failed, he wrestled with a huge fireman hose. It tried to get away from him a few times but finally surrendered and allowed him to pump water from the nearby river into a 500 gallon tank sitting in the bed of his old pickup truck. From there we ran a hose through our bathroom window and into the back of the commode. It wasn’t pretty, but we didn’t hear anyone complain.
     The chore of carrying water is a constant on the farm. Growing up we had a giant old box freezer to collect rain water out behind the sheep house, giving us a nearby water source. And we were always checking on the cows, each one of which can drink about 10 gallons a day! One cold winter while making sure the many springs on the Balli Farm had not frozen over, mom saw fresh huge cat tracks in the snow atop the ice. She took flight, saying to herself there were plenty of other springs the cows could access that week.
     Recently we had guests staying at the Balli Cabin and we got the dreaded call-- they didn’t have water. It was a conundrum trying to get the water turned back on. Fortunately, the visitors were patient and understanding, even saying they could do without water for a while but “might need more to get ready for church.” We thought maybe the water filter needed changed, or feared somehow the 300 foot well had gone dry. Eventually we learned the problem was a faulty pump saver.
     Many times in the Bible God used dry spells to get His children’s attention to turn from sin and write new chapters. Droughts happened with Joseph, Elijah, and Naomi and Ruth, just to name a few. In Jeremiah 5:1 God told the prophet to search high and low and if he could find just one person who “deals honestly and seeks the truth” He would forgive the city and spare them from the drought. One person! It makes me wonder if my own city would be spared… Am I completely honest? Do I seek truth other than God’s?
     I’m not saying our dry spell is from God, but He who has the power to make it rain, is able to teach us something while we grab our umbrellas and wait. When we are in a spiritual drought, we need to check for debris or replace our filters. What requires repentance or removal? (Some debris might require an air compressor or firehose).
     And secondly, we need to check our water source. We might think we can do without water for a while, but trust me we’re going to need it. Good news is we have access to the Living Water mentioned in Jeremiah 17:7-8, “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

     As I came through the door, the stench nearly knocked me down. Did the sewer back up? Did an animal die and we somehow missed it until now? I yelled out “What on earth is that awful smell?” To which my lovable husband offered up a joyful “I made dinner!” I was pregnant at the time and smells hit funny when your hormones are out of whack, so the delicious sauerkraut and sausage he’d made for our traditional New Year’s dinner really put me through the fire. I’m not saying he quit making dinners after that but my unenthusiastic reaction sure slowed him down…
     It’s amazing how our olfactory senses can dictate our emotions or trigger a memory. We can even enhance our awareness to various scents if we just slow down and purposefully focus. For years we’ve been saying to stop and smell the roses, but are we?
     When we moved my daughter to NYC I made the following observation: “It’s a dirty place, but they’re trying. I was awakened by a street sweeper last night so I know they are at least putting forth some effort. On garbage day sidewalks are piled high with garbage bags, some of which fall off into the street where cars run over them and scatter pieces everywhere. Wind constantly blows through the skyscrapers and churns up the loose trash so if you’re particularly lucky you can witness little trash tornados in corner nooks. As we went exploring in the sweltering 90 degree heat, I felt a piece of trash waft up and get stuck on my sweaty leg, but in true New Yorker fashion, I just kept walking. Amazing thing is, the people here smell pretty good and this surprises me. Maybe they recognize the fact that they work and live in very close proximity to other humans, or maybe they feel bad how their city often delivers up odors like sewer, hot trash, or street urine…either way—thank you to everyone who sprays a little extra perfume on in the morning. As in life it makes a big difference who you stand behind.”
     2 Corinthians 2:15 reminds us “For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.” It causes me to assess my life—Do I have the sweet aroma of Christ on me so that when others are around me they are reminded of Jesus’ love, grace, and truth? And do I metaphorically smell good regardless of my circumstances? Is my attitude pleasant even when my surroundings are difficult? Answers may vary. Not everyone agrees on what smells good, just like I was repulsed by the sauerkraut odor when I was all hormonal but hubby Jeff was proud of it. We can try to be the sweet aroma of Christ but we are told in 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Keep making an effort anyway.
     Whatever circumstance you’re in right now, filtering it through Jesus is the ultimate purifier. I am always in awe with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego who in the third chapter of Daniel are recorded as being thrown into a blazing furnace for standing firm on their faith. God saved them from perishing—but get this—their hair and clothes were not even singed, “nor had the smell of fire passed on them (vs 27)”. It’s good news that we don’t have to smell like the fire we go through.
     Be fragrant because we are in a dirty place with people who need encouragement. And slow down to enjoy what’s around you. Here are suggestions to consider stopping to smell: a hayloft, rain on hot concrete, grapes waiting to be picked, warm chocolate chip cookies, lanolin from the wool of a wiggly lamb, and of course sauerkraut, and roses.