Coming to my senses

God looked over everything he had made; 
      it was so good, so very good! 
   It was evening, it was morning— 
   Day Six.

Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.

--Genesis 1:31-2:1, The Message

(Summer reruns. I know. Keep reading.)

Yesterday we got some much-needed rain. It came down all at once, in buckets at times, it seemed. I came home to find open windows, damp floors-- and I didn't even care, we needed the rain so badly.

So this morning, I got myself out of bed early and took a long walk, over four miles. And as I walked, I saw how grateful Creation was for the watering.

The birds! In the tree behind my house, my favorite papa cardinal greeted me. "Purty purty purty!" Walking shorts, uncurled hair-- and still he sees the beauty in me. 

I had to laugh.

And as I laughed, I heard another bird, I don't know what kind, off across the street, laughing in return. First time, to my knowledge, I have been ridiculed by a bird.

I have a habit when I walk of often kicking sticks or stones out of the way as I walk. I nearly kicked a stick into the street-- but it began to crawl away before I did. 

It was a slug. A big old, slimy slug, bigger than my thumb. 

And that, of course, made me think of my husband, who had his "slug pants" that he wore in the garden. He would pick the slugs off the plants and smoosh them on the jeans. Most of the bigger ones, he would just salt-- or buy 'em a beer. 

But oh, those jeans. I refused to wash them. Eew.

But I digress.

My street has linden trees all along the treelawns, tall and round and covered with sweet-smelling blooms. But the rain had beaten many of the blossoms off, leaving the sidewalks covered, the fragrance almost overpowering as I walked. And the trees, as if offended I would think they smelled too sweet, shook their branches in the morning breeze and gave me a good drenching.

And as I returned home, I noticed my brand-new, brilliant red petunias were recovering nicely. They had taken a beating, too, looked downright dejected when I left. But an hour basking in the early morning sun and their leaves had revived, their red blooms perking up again.

And it was so good. All of it, the sights, sounds, smells of a world dancing in the rain. 

Open your eyes and see. Let your ears hear. Breathe deeply.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DmlG6uNXpQ

Gracious loving God, you have given us so much! Help us to see your hand, your loving touch all around us-- even in the rains and storms of life. Amen.