Well, my goodness, it has been busy here the last few weeks. Rural spring sure is hopping amongst the farmer neighbours. A few days ago, a large trailer was travelling back and forth several times along our otherwise quiet road. Several times. I know this because the dog has now taken to chasing slower moving farm vehicles, and I am beside myself that he is going to get killed under a large tire. He’s slow, and likely would never catch anything, but … well, you know. A Momma’s heart worries. Anywhoo… we discovered that it is “hay season” and the trailer was carrying large quantities of feed to be bundled for storage at the neighbouring dairy farm. Apparently, this is a very specifically timed event as the hay must be completely dry before storing… in case of mold and other nasty things that would obviously hinder long term storage under plastic wrap.

The rains have been frequent in recent days, so the farmers were under constraint to take advantage of the dry days. And so they have! Those rains also meant our own “hay field” (aka our front lawn) was also in need of some harvesting… which was a challenge with our broken down lawnmower. Nevertheless, we are tackling the yard one step at a time, including our pond. Some lovely ladies came out last week to install our pump and some plants to “get the water flowing”. I am super excited! We now have a beautiful sounding waterfall and the pond is beginning to clear. We have a tonne of tadpoles, and a pair of ducks and several butterflies have been visiting, so it must mean something is working!

When we first moved in, the pond was quite overgrown. We knew little of what it held and how to return it to its former glory. At that time, we did hire a crew to dig it all out and give us some idea of what we had. It was late in the season by then, so installing any sort of filter was not worth overwintering… which brings us to now! There are two levels to our oasis, and we discovered somewhere between 12-14 goldfish survived in the 3 or so feet of nothing. Spring budget included a pump to cycle the water up and flowing nicely over the “spillway” waterfall from a shallow “bog” to the deeper fish pond. The “bog” will be filled with oxygen producing plants that will be a natural filter for the fish below. Once everything hits that magic “balance” of nature’s perfection, all should be a wildlife paradise!

Like most starts in life, it is currently a work in progress. The pond is still murky. We don’t have full plant coverage yet. The pump is working but we have to make sure the water levels don’t fall too low or get too high. Quite a bit of soil has leached down around the pond liner and my experts tell me it wicks the water out and seeps into the ground. This isn’t what we want. Yet, we need some plants to “have their feet wet” (i.e. be planted just off shore to be boggy but not in the water). It’s all very complicated. Nature is fascinating. I continue to be amazed and challenged by it at the same time.

And so my muse this week is about water. One of the most basic elements on earth… and yet, oh so profound! Learning more about wells and pools and ponds has taught me water is most precious. It seems to be in abundance… until it’s not. And then you panic. On more than one occasion we have had a ‘stop’ in our well and water doesn’t make it to the faucets. It’s just not something we had to deal with in the city. And so you begin to be aware of water and how valuable it really is. It just amazes me that fish and tadpoles and grown frogs and birds and plants all seem to exist when we just leave them alone. Yet order always seems to run to chaos. Left alone too long and plants seep into lining, water wicks up into thirsty soil, balance goes off and things begin to fall apart.

And so it is with us. There is no wonder that so many Biblical references revolve around water. Living water. A never ending cycle of ebb and flow… yet in perpetual balance keeping everything alive and in sync. Until a drought comes along. Or thirsty soil wicks it away. Or too many fish and tadpoles compete for resources. Plants stop thriving and can’t do their part in keeping the balance. So often our relationship with God is similar. When all is “flowing” things go well. It only takes one little thing to go off balance to disturb the whole ecosystem. One temptation leads to lies, deception, mistrust. One comment wicks away at the good stuff, and you are no longer just getting your feet wet… you are drowning in despair. Or you’re not connected in properly and the pipes are leaking. Do you see it? As we have discovered, a once tranquil oasis often takes a lot of hard work and budget to get back to that peaceful balance. Will our pond be the same as it was when the original owners put it in? No, of course not. My landscape tastes will be different. My goals for what I want out of the pond may not be the same as the original designer. Still, I start with keeping the water flowing.

It’s been a pleasant reminder to me to try and balance my spiritual life with the rest of my life. When I am connected to others who encourage me, who pray for me and who lead me in the right direction, I keep living water flowing. Christ refreshes my soul. His living church keeps things oxygenated so that baby tadpoles grow, fish thrive and the system “stabilizes” so that more life can be drawn in and spread out. When the lining of our souls get a puncture wound, or the connections aren’t right, the system breaks down and we leach out all the good stuff. It’s a work in progress, but I hope you get a moment this summer to appreciate some water. Fresh, flowing water. Take a moment to reflect on how such a simple thing can be so profound. I’ll keep you updated on the tadpole count !