When I walked out on the porch this morning, I was gifted with a beautiful deep blue sky bathed in bright clear sunshine. The sky is so pretty, a prize from God after last night’s thunder and lightning. I sat on the porch in one of my porch swings thinking the Lord has outdone himself. The clouds are studies in whites and grays and blues and purples, their gradients in color like choices on a paint strip chart. The snow white clouds are luminous and bright, the sun’s kisses bleaching their rounded crowns. There is absolute silence in the yard. Not a bird is singing, not a leaf is rustling. I can hear a faint pinging of a wind chime in the distance like the high key notes on a piano and a low rumble from the train tracks of a long gone locomotive. But in my yard it’s as silent as a morgue. If I listen closely, I can hear the music of Mother Nature and her planet earth. The earth is reciting her morning prayers of thanksgiving for the glorious day. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” Psalm 118:24.

The birds have now begun cheerfully singing their songs and the doves are cooing. My dog and my cat are taking their first naps of the day in the warmth of the sun’s rays touching the red porch tiles. I love sitting on the porch swing watching the world celebrate another day’s awakening, waving at my neighbors when they pass by in their cars. I love watching the neighborhood dogs and cats wandering on their morning walks, the fluffy gray cat trying to sneak on my porch to snitch a few bits of Kat’s food.

I love living in small town America. I went to my nephew’s football game Thursday night. He had two rows of family supporting him. The rain poured down on the way to the game but stopped soon as we parked. I got out of the car talking to vet brother and oldest-sister-in law and stepped in an ant bed. Those hateful little ant sharks ate my ankles up. Noah should have let them drown. After halftime we had an invasion of giant moths. My niece and her family of girls and girlfriends squealed every time one of the moths flew by their face or flew through their hair. Tickled me, but scared them. My little nephew had a paper fan and he’d bat them down and stomp on them. They put on quite a show. Oldest sister-in-law kept saying, “I’ve never seen these moths at a football game.” Every time she said that I’d point to the huge pole of lights we were sitting under. Not sure she ever understood the moths and the lights’ partnership.

Friday afternoon oldest sister-in-law and I went to the high school homecoming parade. Both sides of the street were packed with folks and Roanoke’s normally slow downtown was full of cars and trucks. We took our yard chairs and sat under a tree at the Methodist church. I was instantly transported back to high school with memories of my homecoming celebrations. It was a beautiful afternoon full of happy families and parade floats, cheerleaders on fire trucks, pretty girls in fancy cars, and music from the high school marching band.

We are lucky in our small towns in America knowing we can all mingle together where our little worlds are still safe and seemingly insulated from the world’s hatred. I think a small town puts its community first. I love what Immanuel Kant said about small towns, “The nice thing about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does.” Small town living is salubrious.

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” God wants us to enjoy each day, appreciating the beautiful moments, not worrying about the storms that might come. We read in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Vivian Greene wrote, “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.” We know the rain will fall but what a wonderful umbrella of grace and faithfulness God holds over our head. He won’t stop the storm but will stand strong and tall beside us as the storm rages, giving us strength to hold on to our faith. When the storm has passed we see his love in the rainbow stretched across the heavens.

“Waking up to see another day is a blessing from God. Don’t take it for granted; this day will never come again. Make it count and be happy that you are alive.” — Unknown