Today could be called dreary but to me it was a pleasant and cool rainy day, perfect for perching in the swing. I love to sit outside when it’s raining, listening to the rhythm of the rain drops, composing a symphony of rain accentuated by the pings of wind chime pipes, making up song lyrics to match the rhythm of the rain drops. I opened one of my bedroom windows so I could listen to the rain’s orchestra tonight. Just hope the window doesn’t swell before it’s time to pull it down. I can’t hear the crickets and the katydids singing so they must be sleeping cozy under their leaf and rock houses. Hope Helene doesn’t wash them all away.

I sat perched in the swing this morning for several hours, marveling at how many birds were in my yard. I counted 14 crimson male cardinals on the bird feeders and scratching for seeds on the ground. The female cardinals flittered in and out of the bushes, not as anxious to be out in the rain. The charm of finches were so loud, fighting and arguing over the bird feeder perches. Like the male cardinals, they seem to enjoy the rain showers.

The doves came in a plump of seven, prissing around, bobbing their heads and squeaking their wings. Read once that if you put doves on a treadmill they don’t bob their heads when they walk. How somebody thought to do that beats me, must have been a slow day at the research lab. A downy woodpecker, titmice and chickadees joined in the celebration of rain, too. When I walked Penelope, I watched a zapper of phoebes sitting on the power lines, perched quietly in the misty rain, surveying the neighborhood, watching for insects.

Read this quote on the internet today — “What a beautiful thing to know that even in chaos, God is still in control.” Even when the world is in chaos, God is present and in control. He has mapped our path and put the obstacles on the road to shake our faith. He’s given us free will to choose our path and waits to guide us when we’re ready to give our hearts to him. He will always lead us down a path of righteousness.

Roman’s 15:13 reads, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Life is not meant to be lived without trials. Life will always be uncertain and unpredictable and bad things do happen to good people but God teaches us to lean on him through prayer. Matthew 7:7 reads, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.”

God hears our prayers. He wants us to pray and acknowledge our need for help. He never tires of our prayers. Persistent prayer has power. “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” God wants to fill us with joy and give us peace. He will never forsake us. He is our refuge in times of trouble.

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” — Corrie Ten Boom