Listen to the pouring rain;
Listen to it pour.
Let it rain all night long
‘Cause our need for it’s so strong.
Listen to the falling rain;
Listen to it rain….
~Excerpted and adapted lyrics from a song
recorded by José Feliciano

On soil long in need of a drink, the autumn rain that began here before bedtime last night and continued on through the night and into the wee hours of the morning was not only useful but also calming and cause for great joy. It had been almost 4 months since we had had any rain, and I’d begun to fear we were entering the throes of another drought. However, the six inches of rain that fell has done much to allay those fears. It has been said that rain is not only drops of water; but also that it is the love of sky for earth. I would add that is the love of God for man as well. Besides being good for the soil, rain is a sweet, lullaby that brings peace and sings to the soul. Thus, as the thunder rolled, the lightning flashed, and fortuitous rain tapped out its haunting melodies on the roof, I was the happy recipient of hours of contentment. Humbling and holy were the answered prayers that ended months of drought-like conditions, and acknowledging God’s presence in the blessing deepened, as always, my sense of how sacred and hallowed even the simplest of things is. Being the pluviophile that I am, rain never fails to blanket me in great comfort as it reminds me of the basic goodness of life and the overwhelming goodness of God.

It’s raining, it’s pouring;
The old man is snoring.
He went to sleep to the rhythm of the rain
And it was hard to get up the next morning.
~Altered nursery rhyme

I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. ~Leviticus 16:4  ✝