Rain and Then Some

It rained today. It threatened to rain yesterday at the house. My husband, having to go out of town on business yesterday, reported that it seriously rained at the plant he was visiting. According to the weather maps for Louisiana, it apparently rained on most of the state, while somehow missing us. Well, except for about 11.5 drops that fell while no one noticed.

It also rained the day before yesterday, a very nice, welcomed shower. Because of the excessive heat we've been experiencing lately, our plants in the yard and pots around the front and back porches need water just about every day. $$$$$ of water. I'm always grateful for God-given water. Well, sometimes I have to strive to be grateful . . . like back in 1989 when we had flooding rain that seeped into our downstairs, the ground being saturated with water that was, as water does, seeking equalibrium. Oh, I remember that spring!

After a few days of continual rain and vacuuming gallons on end of water from the downstairs, I finally figured out that if I dug a ditch from where the water pooled at one corner of the front yard next to the house, I could encourage the water to stop pooling there and drain out across the driveway like so many other hundreds of gallons of water had more or less politely done and gone on down the hill like a nice little river. I did perform a similar task in the back yard. My husband was not so convinced that my efforts were that effective. But I tell you, after bailing out tons of water, I was ready for an alternative. Besides, digging ditches in one's yard in the rain has its perks. You get all wet and muddy, and who doesn't want to do that?

In Church, a week or so after this exercise in hard work dealing with the plentious and copious amounts of water in our area, a member of our Church, giving either the invocation or benediction to the meeting, mentioned his thankfulness for the rain the Lord had seen fit to bless us with. That made me ponder some. After the meeting I asked, "So, please explain why you mentioned gratitude for all the rain we've been getting. I mean, some people below the dam were flooded out." He smiled patiently and then quietly responded, "Well, I figure the Heavenly Father only sends us what we need, according to His wisdom."

That made me think/ponder all the more. Perhaps God does send copious and flooding rains to see how grateful we are for all His gifts. Perhaps we don't recognize what we have until we no longer have it? Or have what seems to be way too much? Hmmmmmmm.

But, back to today's little weather anomoly: my Mother called around two something this afternoon and I noticed how the wind was blowing something fierce at the time! It whipped the trees and sounded like rain a few minutes before the shower actually began. (Also, it had been thundering, with big, black clouds and all the trappings of a summer storm for a while prior to the wind whipping things around.)

After speaking with my Mother (1500 miles away), I called to check on my son (2 miles away) who's working in a (portable, wooden) fireworks stand--selling fireworks for those who are getting ready to celebrate our Independence Day, July 4th. He reported that the wind had thrown several LARGE fireworks items half-way cross the parking lot (where his stand sits). Those items usually rest on the counter. It apparently also swept some of the smaller items off the shelves in the back of the stand and sent them flying--mostly inside the structure. He's not sure, but thinks the stand may have moved some from where it originally stood. If it did, when I looked, it hadn't moved far. (Thankfully!)

The stand to the west of his, in an adjoining parking lot, had all the props (that hold the flaps--or openings into the stand--up) were broken so they had to shut down their operation. Literally. I'm ever so grateful it wasn't any worse an experience than it was. I'm guessing my son is thinking along the lines of not wanting a heapin' bunch of wind again anytime soon. Though, he'll most likely be wishing for a heapin' of a nice breeze next time the heat hits about 90+ degrees, with humidity per centage in similar numbers. There you go. Somehow we need to be grateful for what we have--before we lose it!