July 2011. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that 29 percent of the country is in drought. Texas and other southern states in the U.S. are suffering from an exceptionally extreme drought, which has dried up farm fields, ponds, and small rivers and increased the threat of wildfires. The situation is similar to some of the world's driest deserts.

And so we pray this news.

Great Spirit, we pray
for an end to the drought
and the arrival of rain
to soothe and replenish
the dry and parched land.

We pray for wet weather
to drench the earth,
to bring new life to seeds,
and to insure a good harvest.

We are saddened by the
the cracking of the ground,
the spread of destructive wildfires,
and the resulting deaths
of crops and wild animals.

We pray for patience
to endure this drought siege
as we wait for rain
to refresh and renew
our lives and livelihoods.

We are so grateful
for the life-saving
capacities of rain,
and pray that we never
take water for granted.

— Frederic A. Brussat


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