Today’s local weather temperature is the same as my oven temp set on low. Can I defrost my chicken outside safely? We have a little bit of a reprieve with our high temp of 102 degrees and a low that will cool to 77. The last five days have reached 105 degrees and hotter. I think Bakersfield was named in the summertime. The field is baking. My history books say our city was named after Colonel Baker, but I think there is a double meaning in the name.
As I am sitting inside my cooled house with a fan blowing directly at me I think about how the earth is my home and the land I live on deeply affects my life. I do not live in a virtual world. I love living in the Central Valley where food is grown and sent all over the world. We grow more carrots than any other region in the world. Our harvest of almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, grapes and so much more give meaning to the hot sun warming the earth giving us food.
While walking a little slower in this intense heat, I will offer a prayer of thanksgiving for my warm piece of land that sits on the valley floor. We are surrounded by mountains on three sides and the Kern River flows from the Southern Sierra to the east. When I cut into a perfect tomato and chop up basil for my salad, I will breathe deep the smell of summer. Water, sun, and dirt- I am grateful for the land that nourishes my life.
"I believe that I will look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!"
Psalm 27:13 ESV
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