One, Two-who, thrree...

In response to the boy's request of "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" the wise old owl answers three before crunching away at the candy. The narrator then wisely says, "the world may never know". In quite similar fashion, I have been pondering the question of how long it would take me, being bereft of challenging and nourishing Christian community, how long would it take to reach a nadir in my spiritual life? I think I'd have to say 5 years- for that is how long it has been since I've moved to Greenville. But I think I may be like the owl in coming to my answer a little too quickly. It is akin to declaring a drought, and what level of extremity it classifies as. I mean, how can we get 4 inches of rain in a day and still be in a drought? And yet, it is the persistence of the situation that makes it so. In a similar way, though there be showers and relieving rains along the way, my spiritual life has slipped into a drought, and I am left trying to find sources of life giving water. It is not as if I am some rain-forest plant who has been thrust into the sahara- my Christian life has been marked with arid landscapes. I am pretty drought and heat tolerant. But even the toughest of plants needs water to grow. When you see a huge cactus in the desert, chances are they are very old- they grow so slowly due to the lack of moisture. Similarly, my growth has slowed, I am experiencing less and less spiritual moisture in my life. Still, I believe, I hope, I dream of the kingdom of God come to its fruition. I rejoice in His creation, I trust my family and my life to his care. Is this drought moderate, extreme or exceptional? Bereft as I may be, this is likely not the true nadir. In fact the world, and I, may never know.