One of the unique aspects of Washington State is the diversity of climate from one region of the state to another. Traveling across the state, one finds rainforests, mountains, and tumbleweeds blowing across the Columbia Basin. While the ground is very fertile in the desert regions of the Columbia Basin, nothing grows without water. Well-designed irrigation systems have turned this land mass into a farming oasis. For two years, my summer jobs involved moving irrigation lines for farm fields located in the desert regions of the Columbia Basin.
These irrigation lines bring much-needed water to the fields to grow various crops. Depending on the fields, various methods were used to bring water from the canals to the crops. Most of the time, my fields utilized small channels of water fed by irrigation tubes. These S-shaped pipes would siphon the water from the channel and into one row of a field. Multiple siphon tubes were set in each field and rotated every 12 to 24 hours.
A system for every field
Some fields used long pipes with sprinkler heads attached in intervals across the field. These lines had preset connections across the field which pumped water from a canal or nearby pond. Therefore, the lines had to be disconnected, drained, moved by hand, and reconnected at the next point down the field. Other fields used larger systems of wheel lines. And there were even large circular sprinklers that covered an entire crop circle.
A clear path was required to successfully irrigate a field. The sources of water and delivery method had to be kept open so the water could flow freely. Any interruption or blockage in the path could be detrimental to the crops which needed constant irrigation.
A clear path
For one summer, my friend, Jon, had a job moving hand lines across a field. The source of water for this field was a pond. Jon spent more time cleaning snakes, frogs, and other debris from the sprinkler heads that were sucked up from the pond than he spent moving the lines. I was grateful that summer that my jobs did not have so many obstacles to the flow of much-needed water.
Irrigating farm fields remind me of how important ongoing revelation is to the fields of our souls. President Henry B. Eyring said, “We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream.”
Like the dews from heaven
Sin, fear, and doubt clog the pathway of revelation just like snakes and frogs plug up sprinkler heads. Making sure the path is kept clear will keep the flow of revelation coming into our lives. So, how do we keep those lines clear?
In Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46 it says: “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means, it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”
Today my friends, let us spend some time irrigating our souls with the flow of revelation from God. He will speak to us in our hearts and in our minds. He will comfort us with peace in times of trial. And, He will reveal His will to us as we diligently seek to follow Him. The flow of revelation will nourish us in the desert of mortality. This I know to be true and may God reveal it unto you as well.
