One early morning, I woke up with this thought: “See the whole thing.” Smiling, I stayed in bed for a while to ponder it. Before me I saw the moon, whose cycle appears to make it get bigger and smaller. But no one would think this is actually happening, because we know the truth about the moon. It is whole and remains unchanged, independent of the lunar phases, and regardless of how it appears to an observer.
I then thought about a conversation I’d had with a worried farmer, in which he said: “We need rain. Our soil is so dry. Groundwater levels are low. The rivers and streams are emptier than they’ve ever been.” Don’t we all sometimes hear statements like this or hear reports in the news, and feel afraid? Maybe you feel a certain helplessness that you can’t change any of it. I had experienced drought myself in our garden, and seen streams and rivers getting emptier and emptier. Had I perceived all of these images of lack and accepted them, silently concurred with them without even noticing, instead of “seeing the whole thing”?
I paused for a moment, listened, and said within myself: “No! God loves His creation and provides it with everything it needs, so the drought cannot be the whole picture.” I felt a hint of love—the love of God that cares for everything perfectly and gently.
