Today it has been raining. And oh do I love the rain. It is just so refreshing. And it washes all the dirt away. My favorite is having all the pollen washed off our car. Mostly because it gives me a small reprieve from sneezing. That silly little moisture does so much to refresh the earth. When I was a child my hometown was in a drought so we frequently prayed to receive rain to nourish our neighboring farmers crops. Prayers would even be said for it over the pulpit at church. I never thought anything of that until I came to live in Florida where moisture is abundant and people are most definitely not praying for more rain.
More importantly I occasionally consider the spiritual significance and lessons we can learn from the refreshing ability of the rain. It cleanses everything it falls upon and brings new life to things that have lacked. Doesn't this remind us of something else in life? For me, baptism comes to mind. The most sacred covenant, or promise, that we can ever make in our lives. And the ordinance of baptism is the event that brings us new life. We are born into "newness of life" as Paul stated in the Bible.
We are washed clean of our sins when we are baptized, and if it is preceded by true repentance we can feel as the prophet Alma explains by saying "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" After we have had the mighty change of heart and then are baptized we are spiritually born of God.
We can all be washed clean spiritually just like the earth can be washed clean physically. I know that it's possible for anyone who has the desire. And there is no better feeling than feeling fresh and clean. After rain storms it frequently feels that the world is coming alive and there is an energy of excitement in the air. Being spiritually washed clean can bring us those same feelings. And help us change.
I love this chapter in Alma. Later in the chapter there is a verse that I remember reading way back in High School that has become so important to me. "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"
ReplyDeleteSometimes even after we experienced "this mighty change of heart," we return to our old ways. And I love how Alma asks "can ye feel so now?" Two things I have learned in my life, one being, just because I felt the change of heart once, does not give me a free ride the rest of my life, do I still feel that change today? I have to continually strive for it. Second, when there are times that I don't feel the song of redeeming love, or the change of heart I can remind myself that I once did, and it makes it so much easier to change once again.