Rain

I love the rain. Everything about it: the look, the sound, the smell of the damp earth... I especially love rain on trees. We have a tiny wooded area next to our house that I love to walk through either during or after a rain. I was out there today after the rain this morning and afternoon. I was barefoot and I could feel the damp moss and dirt under my soles. The water dripping off the leaves on to my bare shoulders and into my hair. The leaves were so vibrant, the earth so alive. As evening is drawing near, the birds were singing their songs, mixing with the sounds of the water dripping from leaf to leaf. Even though I could see still the house in one direction and the road in the other, I felt as if I was in another universe and I never wanted to leave. I climbed up into a tree and just sat there for half an hour, watching and listening. Several cars went past, but even though I was in view, no one noticed me. It was as if, in this wooded area, I suddenly became invisible, as if stepping through a curtain separating two worlds. I could see out, but no one could see in. A slight breeze stirred the leaves, and every once in a while a gust would send droplets sprinkling down on me. It was almost as if the tree itself was crying, lamenting the loss of people who see the beauty of rain. In a world where people stay indoors, where rainy days are advertised as the best times to stay in and watch TV, so many people have lost their appreciation for God's gift of rain. They fail to see the promise of life it brings. The beauty it holds. We say the rain is a symbol of sadness. We use it to symbolize depression and pain in movies and other media. But I challenge you, next time it rains, look at it. Really look at it. Rain brings life, where is the pain in that? Rain brings beauty, why is that depressing? I challenge you to feel the rain, taste the rain, listen to the rain. God has given us the gift of rain. We should cherish it.