Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 154 (Walking on Water Part 5 - Is it something in the water?) for week of 25 May, 2025

Is it something in the water? "Count time! On your feet!"   When I worked at the federal prison, there was a particular officer with a funny voice, kind of like the drill sergeants at boot camp. It could penetrate cinder block walls, mainly because it had to. The best I can describe it is 50% drill sergeant, 35% smoker's throat, and 15% helium.   When it was time for a "standing count," inmates were required to stand up for the count. It made it easier for the officer to obtain an accurate count, and more importantly, the officer was sure the prisoner   1) was still alive and well, and 2) really there; it wasn't just a lump of pillows under a blanket   When I worked with this officer, he called out in that boot camp voice, "Count time! On your feet!" You couldn't not hear it. He said more colorful things than "Count time!" when inmates or staff caused him problems, but those are best not repeated.   We are quickly approaching Shavuot, the end of "Count time! On your feet!" The harvest time between Pesach and Shavuot is extremely busy agriculturally, but it only get BUSIER between Shavuot and the fall feasts of ingathering. If we're struggling to stand, much less walk right now, we might need a fainting couch when the relentless summer heat hits.   Yeshua told the following parable:   "Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.”...“Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God... Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (Lk 8:7-15)   The "fresh" Word does wonders in our lives. It makes for a fun Passover when we've renewed the joy of our salvation each year. A week or two into the count, though, the seed of the Word is in mortal danger. Seed is the promise of life, yet when the soil isn't prepared, protected, nurtured, and watered, the fruit that could have matured in that field dies in the early stages.   As the omer count goes on, it's harder to stand and be counted. A temptation comes, perhaps a "stones-to-bread" twisting shortcut of what the Word actually means, or the consequences of throwing one's self off a height of risky behavior, hoping an angel will catch us, or even a brush with idolatry: greed, rebellion, sexual immorality, etc. Others will be choked by worries, busy-ness thorns that choke off the nourishment times of studying the Word needed to put down deep roots and to choke out the thorns instead.   But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:41-42)   Our busy days will be weighed in the balances of the Kingdom when we enter, and imagine how much of it will be taken away as we cross the threshhold to the Garden. And imagine what will not be taken away. Any time invested in the Word of the Father will remain, and in that Kingdom, it will continue to bear eternal fruit, especially if we've grown and pulled that fruit from the bitter waters of a test.   There's something in the water during count time. What is it?   While walking through, under, on, and between water of the Reed Sea might feel miraculous and spectacular, the omer count time is also a time when the Father begin