Been sitting in my reading chair this afternoon looking out the window at a vanilla bean ice cream colored sky, watching the rain fall from the heavens, the silver drops twinkling off the points of the slender green bamboo leaves. I love rainy days, time for relaxing, reflecting on life. I’ve watched the birds flitting on the bamboo, the squirrels scampering up and down the broken brown bamboo trunk. The bamboo are bowing their heads, heavy from the rain’s weight, gathering close together, getting ready to fight off Hurricane Helene’s winds. William Butler Yeats described raindrops as “fairy whispers refreshing the earth with their touch.” I think that’s so beautiful and I thought about the fairies and their whispers as I watched the raindrops caress the bamboo fronds.

Sat on the porch earlier listening to the symphony of rain. The constant beat of the drops, their rhythmic patter matching my heart beats, cleared my mind, making room for memories of rainy days to be remembered. As the wind chimes got louder in the wind, I thought about a storm on the second night of my honeymoon on Mt. Cheaha. We opened the door to our room at the Lodge, lay in bed, and watched a furious storm thunder and lightning itself across the mountain. So beautiful when the bluish lightning flashed and the thunder boomed. One of my cherished memories.

Bible scripture tells us that God waters our souls with his Holy Spirit like the rain gives life to parched soil. Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Rain is such a nurturing gift of nature, cleanses the earth, washes her sins away for a little while, kisses the dirt from the sidewalks and garden’s leaves. On the beautiful sunny days of blue skies and fluffy white clouds we take God’s grace for granted. We don’t think to be grateful for our many blessings. But when storms rumble through our lives like a freight train’s locomotive we cry out and beg for God’s help. God’s love rains down on us in times of troubles and sorrows. He doesn’t turn away when we aren’t close to him. He is ever faithful. God’s has promised that even the darkest storms will be followed by clear blue skies. God’s rainbow is proof of his promise.

Just as we water our yards and our gardens, we also have to be mindful to spiritually water our faith. Through prayer and scripture reading we nourish our soul with the Holy Spirit. We need water to live, physically and spiritually. God’s water of salvation and eternal life are offered to all who accept him into their hearts.

Prayers for all in Hurricane Helene’s path.

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.” — Langston Hughes