Shirin McArthur
Dear Friends,
It’s high summer here in the desert Southwest. I’m always grateful for warm temperatures (being raised in the desert!). We also, finally, got some measurable monsoon rainfall this past week—and have had some good rains since. (Henry had earlier begun to claim we were somehow cursed, because the storm clouds would inevitably split and pass by on either side of us, day after day!)
Monsoon season has made my early morning walks quite humid as well as warm, but I go out anyway because I love the unique smell of the Sonoran Desert after a rain. Plants are celebrating too. After that first measurable rainfall, suddenly there were hundreds of light purple blossoms on the bush in our front yard, and it didn’t take bees long to find them.
I’m grateful to see plenty of bees, plenty of blossoms, and even enough water to make for fun photographic reflections in the water retention basins around our neighborhood. What I don’t want is for the water to remain there long enough to breed mosquitoes!
All this has me thinking about the word enough. I’m grateful that I have more than enough food to eat, clothing to wear, and money in the bank. I’ve had more than enough work this year, and while I’m grateful for it, I’m also ready for a break. We’ve had more than enough incidents of discord and violence in this country over the past few months, so I’m ready for a break there too.
Interestingly, when Jesus talked about “enough,” it was in that more challenging type of context. After telling his disciples not to worry and describing how God clothes the lilies of the field, he says, ““So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” He also made a comment about making sure there’s enough money in the bank before you begin to build your big, fancy tower.
Next week, I’m going to reflect further on what it means for us to have enough. Meanwhile, ponder what comes to mind for you when you think about enough. What are you grateful for in this summer season?
Peace,
Shirin McArthur
A version of this message first appeared on my blog on August 1, 2022.