Sunday....after the storm

Sitting here in Sacramento on this most golorious of mornings, you can't help but make the connection between what has occurred here in the last 24 hours and our own lives.

The sun is out in all of it's splendor. There is a bit of a chill in slight breeze. The barren trees have yet to begin to reclothe themselves from their winter's sleep but you can feel the life that is beginning to abound within them.

Just yesterday morning, the rains were here. This was more than rain. It was "the rains." The ferocity of the falling liquid was such that we rarely see. We are no foreigners to the liquid from heaven here in the valley. Yesterday was nothing short of a miracle. It was as if the Lord was showing off just what He can do if He wants to. Most of the people that live in the east think that it is earthquakes that Californian's fear. In the River City, we are more consumed by the devastation that flooding can bring. The only thing that our levee system has going for it over our brothers in New Orleans is that our levees only hold back rivers. We don't contend with oceans and hurricaines. The trouble with that is that hurricaines announce themselves. Rivers just gradually wear the levees down. It is the difference between a boxer with a knockout blow and one who keeps throwing little body shots. While the body shot artist's big blow may not have the velocity of the knockout king, his ultimate punch can deliver the same effect after having had enough time to perform his other art.

There are no thoughts of floods today. There will be more rain later this week. We can prepare for the days to come but we mustn't lose sight of what sits outside of our doorstep today. It is not a day that has to be consumed with the activities so carefully planned to enjoy the day. The day passes too quickly for that. It must be enjoyed as it is...simply. A walk down the street. A leisurely cutting of the grass. A bike ride that leaves time to pull over at the sight of the fresh vegetation that endured the pain of yesterday so it can soak in the nurturing of the sun today. This is the day to be alive. We will worry about the rain when it comes later....if it even comes at all.

Rainy days and sunny days. Days of joy and days of pain. The weather seperates it's days. Do you?