Grace Like Rain

It has been raining non-stop here for going on three days now. The beginning of January was much drier than normal, and the skies are trying to make up for it. The pastures, ditches, streams, are swollen with the extra water, running over roads and changing the appearance of our drive to school and back.

Memories fill my head on those drives, of living in Northern Washington in a valley that had big floods every Spring. Once the rains let up and we knew the roads were safe, my Dad would pile the older kids into the car and we would go driving, just to see what all that extra water looked like. Our sump pump would be working overtime in the basement while we drove and drove, making up names for the new lakes and streams. There was always a feeling of excitement amongst us kids, because it was all strange and unbelievable how a little water could so drastically change things.

Now that I'm older and a property owner, I am thankful that we live on a hill, rather than in a valley. I have sympathy for those who are dealing with sump pumps and overflowing ditches, and livestock that can't graze because their pastures are flooded. There's still an element of excitement though, as I see the changed landscape.

Its all minor this time, no houses threatened that I've heard of, just extra water everywhere. Puddles that the little Girl just can't resist splashing in, and squishy, saturated ground to walk across as I do my evening chores.

Oh, and that roof of ours, with its soft spot and slow leak. There is that too. I'm trying to not think about the quote we got yesterday for tearing off the shingles, fixing the rotten sheeting, and re-covering our house (with metal this time)... hopefully the next quote won't be quite as daunting. Lets just say the first quote was for more than my little needlework business made in the entirety of 2012.

Instead, I'm purposing to keep the song that keeps going through my head fixed. Right there. In my head.

"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away"