Across the highway, a bush hog cut through the dead brush and trees. A small pond, once the watering hole for the local wildlife, was bone dry. The last touches of green were fading from the nature’s palate — the drought had been going on since June. Pine trees, weakened by the lack of rain, were dying from the invasions of pine beetles. A dust cloud blew across the highway. Before you could say, “haboob,” the sky had turned yellow. The sun, now a big orange ball, hung over the horizon. Smoke from the brush fire near the interstate hung low over the county. Jim Logan felt the ache from his surgery tug at his attention. He pulled out his phone to look at the forecast. Nada. Zip. Zero chance for rain.
He had never seen a dry spell this bad.
Everything had been going so well up until three years ago. His career was on fire. Now the countryside was. He was happily married. No he was unhappily alone. His bank account had been as lush as the surrounding fields. Now it was as dry as the pond.
The dry spell came disguised as perfect sunny weather. First he just worked harder. Then he turned inward and tried every trick he had used in the past. Self medication, which had worked in the past, failed to work. His wife left him. His boss fired him. He had to have surgery after the car crash near the school. His ex-wife had wanted more than he could give without giving anything in return — and she took the kids and the dog.
Exhaustion set in.
Logan took a deep breath. He had nothing: No hope. No chance. Nothing to lose. And then he fell to his knees and began to mumble:
Dear Lord, I have been foolish. I thought I could carry all this on my own shoulders. I was wrong. So I turn it all over to you. I surrender.
Nothing.
He began to shake his fist up at the sky but for some reason d
Then he felt it. First he felt it in his toes. Then he felt the warmth flow throughout his body.
On that dry and dusty Mississippi morning, Jim Logan realized that he must push into his pain. That the answer to his healing was outside of his own body.
As he walked out toward the highway, he felt his tough year fade away like the smoke on the horizon. Then he felt a cold splash on his forehead. Then he felt another. And another. And another.
It began to rain.