This summer has certainly been the
summer to remember so far as rain goes. Tropical storms, hurricanes
and just plain ol' rain. It's been wet, that's for sure. My
neighbor's yard was under water for about 2 months; the one road into
our community stayed underwater for just as long and baby frogs were
underfoot – hopping frantically away at our every step while
outside. Between the frogs and the crickets, walks with the dog at
night gave me thoughts of being in a tropical rainforest. After
years of insufficient rainfall in this area, the rain is certainly a
blessing, and we are grateful for our Father's provision once again.
But I was feeling swamped in a
different way ... One hundred twenty days before Sukkot, we realized
(courtesy of the County Building and Zoning Department, thank you
very much) that if we wanted to put in a few RV spaces at our
congregation's property for hospitality purposes, we also had to put
in a new septic system, run water lines from the existing well and
have the power company put in an additional power pole. So we made
inquiries, got some estimates and settled on someone who had been in
business for years and with whom it would be 'one stop shopping'. He
could and would do all the components of the job. Yay! Less minutia
for me to manage! Simple? yes; easy? Not so much.
Did I mention the rain??? For the next
90 days it rained virtually non-stop. Day after rainy day went by
and calendar page after calendar page turned in synchrony. Then
suddenly -- Divine Providence I am sure -- the rain stopped ... and there
were 30 days separating us from the Scriptural Fall Feasts when these
RV spaces would be needed.
I realized we got the right people for
the job when we got the phone call that said, “We'll be out there
this morning” instead of me having to make the call and ask, “Where
are you?” I praise You, Father! What a blessing!
As the job progressed, because of the
new septic and the new network of water lines I was tasked with
dealing with the Department of Environmental Health. My Beloved does
not do bureaucracy well. He is fluent in hammering, tinkering,
mowing and fixing, but schmoozing is not his forte. So off I went to
deal with the 'Powers that Be'. These fine folks make sure that our
water is pure and that it stays pure for everyone's safety and well
being. I am happy they do what they do. They decided, like Shakespeare's Shylock,
that a pound of proverbial flesh was in order. I was tasked with
collecting a multitude of water samples. These water samples had to
be done at certain times of day, with specific amounts of time
between them and in a specific order. All the while, my Beloved is
emoting over the agony he perceives in the process. (Fancy talk for
he's kvetching my ears off already. It's OK. I don't like bureaucracy either.) Am
I flummoxed? No, not I -- I have peace that is flowing like a river.
In just a few days, b'ezrat YHVH (with
Yah's help) the state inspectors will inspect and Yah willing, we
will be done, done, done! And then a flood of a different sort will
be upon us. We will be flooded by the blasts on the shofar calling
to awaken us from our spiritual slumber and prepare us for an
appointment with our King. We will be flooded with our own salty
tears as we recount the times we've disappointed our Father in
Heaven. We will be flooded with joy as we are reminded of His
forgiveness and His promise to separate us from our sin, burying it
in the deepest depths of the sea. And just five days after that, we
will again be flooded with the excitement and joy of reuniting with
our fellow Israelites and guests for our feast of Sukkot /
Tabernacles. Wave after wave of emotion, wave after wave of love ...
I could stand a flood like that!
This is the traditional prayer for rain ...
Remember Avraham who flowed to You like water.
You blessed him like a tree planted by streams of water.
You rescued him from fire and water.
He passed Your test by planting good deeds by every source of water.
For Avraham's sake, do not keep back water.
Remember Yitz'chak, whose birth was foretold when Avraham offered the angels a little water.
You asked his father to spill his blood like water.
In the desert Yitz'chak dug and found wells of water.
For Yitz'chak's sake, do not keep back water.
Remember Ya'akov who crossed the Jordan's water.
He bravely rolled the stone off the mouth of the well of water.
He wrestled with an angel made of fire and water,
And therefore You promised to be with him through fire and water.
For Ya'akov's sake do not keep back water.
Remember Moshe, who was drawn in a reed basket out of the Nile's water.
Who helped Yitro's daughters: He drew water and gave the sheep water.
He struck the rock and out came water.
For Moshe's sake do not hold back water!
Remember Aharon, the High Priest, who, on Yom Kippur, washed himself five times with water,
He prayed and was sprinkled with purifying water,
He kept apart from a people who were as unstable as water.
For Aharon's sake do not hold back water.
Remember the Twelve Tribes whom
You brought through the divided waters;
For whom You sweetened bitter water;
Their descendants' blood was spilled like water.
Turn to us, Yah, who are surrounded by troubles like water.
For the Israelite people's sake, do not hold back water.
You are YHVH, our Elohim
Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.
For blessing and not for curse. Amein.
For life and not for death. Amein.
For plenty and not for lack. Amein.
May the Creator and One who maintains all there is shower you with abundant blessings, now and always ...
Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom / Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace,
Yocheved
