The flowering honeymoon of May is past, the bursting fullness of June and July, too; now summer in August shows her weariness and her readiness for Autumn. The sky is polished brass, and far above in its highest ceiling are faint hints of clouds. But, they're fruitless clouds bearing no rain. The grass is dry and brown and it fairly crackles beneath the foot. The dust is deep and powdery, covering anything the rare breeze blows it upon. It rises in puffs when water from the buckets in the barn is thrown out. Neighboring ponds have sunk low, revealing muddied bottoms for the geese to track about on. Even the trees look tired. Their leaves seem to be a heavy burden to them rather than their lovely garment, and only occasionally do they stir in a sigh of dry wind. They, and all creation, settle down patiently in the dusty earth like a mother hen to wait patiently for the day that rain will finally come.
As I observe these things during the waning of the season, I am reminded of how creation is a picture of the heart of the Believer who suffers patiently, longing for the hope of redemption, for the returning of the Lord. And someday, like the longsuffering August field, we will rejoice in the rain of the Spirit at the coming of our Lord. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved." Romans 8:18-24a
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