Washed clean and pure!

I admit it I'm a desert girl. I've lived all over the country now, and at various elevations, and climates, and loved them all, but deep down inside I love the desert. And, days like today are why.

You see, we've been experiencing a drought for some time now here in the Phoenix area. I've been working in the yard quite a bit and can vouch for how dry everything is--the dust is thick on the trees, and everything is dead, or more accurately dormant--which is what desert plants do when there's no water. When I break off the dead limbs on the trees they shower me with grit. The cactus are shriveling. The desert looks gray, lifeless, and dead. The animals too are suffering, they've stooped to actually gnawing on cactus limbs to get some moisture and nutrition. We've had only two rain storms, and maybe a grand total of an inch of rain since I've been here in May. Did I mention that our well also went dry? It's been dry, dry, dry!

The last two days however, have been rainy. And, not just rainy but a slow, steady rain--the kind of rain that really sinks in and replenishes the earth. And, this morning, in the midst of a break in the storms I went outside to sunny skies and a wet, wet desert. It's glorious how the rain has taken that dry, dead desert and washed it so marvelously clean! The air literally tingles with the cleanness of it, the freshness of cleanliness as all the dust is washed back into the ground, and nourishing water is now allowed to wet the roots, the leaves, the stems, even the cactus needles and clean away all the grime of drought and put all that dirt right back where it should be in the ground. You can almost see the desert greening up and coming to life again right before my very eyes.

And, as I revel in the fresh, clean air, I'm reminded that is just what Jesus does for me every day if I let Him. He takes His blood and cleanses away all the grime and all the accumulated dust and nourishes my dry roots bringing new life and new joy--a new greenness if you will. And, when I see that--really see that I too tingle with excitement over what He's doing. It's simply marvelous!

I can remember a time that I didn't know Jesus. My life was a lot like the desert--dead, dry, gray, lifeless. But, then Jesus came in and brought life again and I was like the desert after a rain, full of life, washed clean, ready to take on any challenges, alive, really and truly alive for the first time in my life.

I know that most of the country is covered with snow, and many of you can't imagine a desert brought to life again by a few inches of rain. But, if you've ever seen it, I hope you'll also see what Jesus can do for your life--He's done it for me, and like the desert I'm tingling about now. Thank you Lord Jesus!