Have you ever noticed how the trees rain even after the skies have stopped?
All those leaves puddling water, they eventually release all their holding.
It’s been dark and wet down here in the bayou the last few days, so in my continuing attempts to practice being present, and in my constant search for beauty – my observations have all been about water as of late.
When I emerged from my van this morning, I could hear the water falling from our tree limbs and landing on the brown leaves beneath them, and it made me think about how influence lingers.
Parenting, mentoring, teaching – what is spoken and shown and shared in these relationships, keeps on dripping long after the seasons have passed.
I have a new acquaintance in the UK who recently shared that he and his wife wondered at the loss of his elderly parents…. who was going to pray for them now that his parents were gone. He then added, “I think all the prayers they’ve already prayed are still effective.”
I wrote back agreeing.
Those old prayers are like the rain water that’s still falling from oaks after the downpour.
Still nourishing. Still admonishing. Still quenching those in their sphere.
It’s all very interesting to think about.
It makes us look back over our shoulders a bit at who and what is still having an influence over us. Positive and negative. And it makes us look forward, peering into the future, wondering what will megaphone into the hearts of those we love long after they aren’t under our roofs anymore, or long after one of us has shifted into some new territory. It’s a cause for pause.
Lord, help us.
May what we pour out now, prop others up later.
This is serious and difficult, and can’t be done well alone.
Lord, really! Aid us in it!
Speaking of, my youngest is in the next room waiting on me to finish up so he can ‘play wif’ me. Bless him.
Mama’s coming, boy. Trusting our play will bless you in the present….
and in the thereafter.
