Washed in the Water...

Most days, the roads here in Busega are composed of nothing more than a fine, powdery, orange dirt.

Most days, taxis and bodas carrying passengers and cargo, whisk to and fro down the village street.

Most days, the warm, sunny, Busega air is greeted by a light, tranquil, afternoon breeze. 

Needless to say, most days everyone (and everything) is glazed with a delicate, orange, Ugandan glow.

But not today.

Today, the residents of this busy little village have gladly welcomed an afternoon thunderstorm.  The merciless, rust-colored soil has been tamed.  Boda drivers sit idle and wait for the skies to clear.  And the air is cleansed by a refreshing, brisk wind.  As I sit here in my room, I can hear the large raindrops pound the metal roof.  The thunder crashes loudly and it continues to roll for miles, gradually fading in the distance. Looking out my window, there is a river of rainwater streaming across the pavement, creating little rapids as it flows swiftly into the tiny channel nearby.  Meanwhile, the sun-scorched flowers soak in the rain and begin to come alive again.

I imagine thunderstorms like this are just another way of God displaying His majesty through His creation.  It is an opportunity to pause and contemplate His goodness and recognize our unending need for His hand in our lives. 

The village of Busega is constantly being polluted by the consuming dust that infiltrates every inch of the air.  Similarly, our lives are also being contaminated—by our sinfulness; by the scars and baggage that we are carrying from our past; by lies being told to us from the enemy; by impurities of social media…the list can go on. Each day, the filth continues to mount and if it is left untreated, our view of life can become distorted.  We will no longer be looking at life through the pure, spotless, lens of Christ.  Instead, there will be layers of dirt preventing us from seeing clearly.
We are sinful people, living in a sinful world.  We desperately need to be cleansed of our transgressions.

In Hebrews 9:22, we are told that everything needs to be cleansed; but forgiveness (i.e. cleansing) is only possible with the shedding of blood.  Thankfully, Jesus has paid that price for us. He bled and died on the cross, sacrificing his own life in order that our lives can be made righteous. 

Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus tells us that He offers ‘living water’ through his Word, which washes and sustains us.

Today, I was a flower being scorched by life’s elements. 

But as the listless flowers outside my window found new life in the rain, my soul, too, was brought back to life by His living water.
As the raindrops fell to the thirsty ground, His promises fell on my yearning heart.
And as the water flowed to wash away the unwelcomed dust particles, His blood rained over me and cleansed me once again.  

I am thankful that God uses days like this to teach me more about His character.  He has purified my heart and given me a new perspective today. Though the storm rages around us, His presence is never failing.  My prayer today is that each of us would recognize His sovereignty in our daily lives. Surrender to Him and allow Him to wash us in His redeeming blood and unfailing love.