… And The Rain Comes…

FRI., SEPT. 8, 2000, 7:15 AM
FARM, STUDY

You awoke this morning, after a night with no pains but itching feet, to the sound of gentle rain on the leaves. It has been quite a “long time” since rain has fallen here, but now…? Will it be only a puny amount, or will it gently fall and wet down the thirsty land?

It is a small symbol of the change of seasons. The summer has been hot and dry. Will it now be cool and wet? You closed some windows and put your lawnmower under more complete cover. Will this “welcome rain” also cause some inconvenience? It is good, but…

In addition to its obvious value as a recurring source of essential water, rain is one of My best symbols… of earth life. It is necessary, but when it does come it may well interfere with plans and events that “expected” dry weather. This is gentle rain, but it can come down in torrents, and the results may be some injuries, even deaths, and damage to the natural and created environment.

In this way it is somewhat like death… of persons that you know, even love. To have no significant deaths is like unto fair… beautiful…sunshiny weather. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were no deaths, at least of those important to you? But you realize that, in terms of the balance of births and deaths, the earth is in a time of pleasant, dry weather. Oh, there are deaths, of course, but there is much effort and resources that go into trying to prolong lives… to “maintain the dry weather.” And new births continue, in numbers that keep the population of humans growing… more “dry weather.

Yet you are aware that more and more human life, with present and future desires for “a better life,” precious as individual lives may be, will be harmful and unsustainable. Symbolically, just as stretches of wonderful, dry weather finally cause harm to earth life, of all kinds, so increases in human population (more births than deaths) begin to reduce the capacity of the earth to maintain its health. And the health of humans finally is dependent on the health of the whole ecosystem.

So rain, as it comes down on thirsty land, is life sustaining, AND death is, paradoxically, also life sustaining. Your culture, currently, is trying to achieve and maintain the best balance by preventing and limiting conceptions, so that there will be fewer babies born… so that the elderly may live on, many in some state of ill-health or disability. An increasing number of you elderly now just expect to live longer, with whatever medical assistance is necessary.

Continuing life is fair weather. Death is like unto rain. You didn’t want your good, old lawnmower to be rained on, hastening its “death.” With car and truck windows up and machinery and tools under cover the rain is welcome. In like fashion, when you have accomplished all that you need to and have increasing losses and weaknesses that make your dependent, death should be welcome.

This rain, if it continues and is sufficient, will bring forth life again, in lawn and plants. Death of the body can free the spirit… your immortal soul… to continue more fully in some spirit realm. As cold weather comes, as it will, some of your lawn will appear to die. The elephant ears will wither and also appear to die. But when the winter is past the warm sun and rain will bring the grass “back to life” and more giant ears will reappear. And so it will be with all perennial plants, if the winter is not too severe.