Of briars, sheep, and rain…

Briars are prickly. Briars are thick. Briars are thick and prickly. They are this way because they are made up of many thin branches all wound up together so that the whole is much worse than just one.

The Irish proverb that started all this thinking about, and waxing poetic about briars goes like this…

“If the briar were not in the way, the sheep would not go into it.” Yeah. Something like that indeed.

So, my sheep friend, been into any briars lately? Don’t answer that, it will only incriminate the guilty. Of course we have. But, in fairness, the briar patches are of various consistencies and depth. So press on, dear one. But do try to avoid those pesky briars that wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t in the way.

And then there’s the rain. 1-2 inches are forecast for tomorrow (Saturday). I don’t recall seeing that amount in a single day forecast before. It will be glorious! Of course, if we get a half inch, it will be glorious. You know, the Word says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Of course it does…but we wouldn’t think about it like that had God not mentioned it to us. The rain, life from above, is all part of the love of God manifest to His creation so that they would recognize that loving care. And seek Him. So as the rain falls, let our prayers rise to a God who loves us, and is sending the rain to help His own, but also to woo that ornery old sheep that has gotten lost in the briars of self-sufficiency, etc.

So Keep Calm, pray on-and enjoy the rain!