“Come, my beloved water!”

These were the words of my son, then three or four years old, when he first saw the Atlantic Ocean. He ran into the surf where the edge of the advancing water lapped his toes, threw his little arms out wide and uttered this cry, much to my delight and amazement. “Come, my beloved water!” Where had he learned such a thing? From our reading aloud, no doubt, but still it was a precious moment.

These words came to mind today when I read Andy Schmookler‘s beautiful post called “Rooting for Rain” on his wife April Moore’s Earth Connection Blog. In his years living in the Southwest, Andy became especially attuned to the need for–and the effects of–rain. Right now, we are desperate for rain here in the Shenandoah Valley, and Andy reminds us of water’s life-giving properties. “The earth, when it rains, breathes through a myriad of living things,” he says. “Come oh blessing. Come and nourish the earth and all its creatures.” Of course, when I read those words, my mind immediately took me back to that small child’s cry to the vast ocean: “Come, my beloved water!”

It’s no wonder water has become such a powerful symbol for cleansing and nourishment. I’m grateful for Andy’s vivid reminder of our connection with all other living things in this most elemental dependence on water. We dare not take this natural resource for granted.

Photo credit: Dorota Kaszczyszyn, Legnica, Poland (courtesy of stck.xchng)