It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's raining in the Ozarks this morning; the first significant rainfall we've had in sometime. I know many people that have been saying how badly we need rain. And I know that we do need the rain, but...

When I was a kid, I never really understood the old people always saying that we needed rain. As a kid, I had little use for rain. I mean I liked playing in the rain if you could talk mom into letting you go outside while it was raining. And I liked riding my bike through the puddles or floating sticks down the water in the ditches after it stopped raining. But rain usually meant no swimming that day, no baseball that night and you were stuck inside with only your siblings to play (fight) with. You didn't get to go outside for recess during the school year and outdoor activities were cancelled--especially if there was lightning with the rain.

All in all, I never really cared if it didn't rain.

Now it's the people my age that seem to be concerned about how badly we need the rain. Notice that I said "people my age" and not me. I know that we need rain for the crop, grass, flowers, animals, yada, yada, yada. And I know that the river levels and lake levels are important for energy production and general water recreation like boating and skiing. Maybe I should be like everybody else and remind others about how we need to pray for rain. I'm pretty much not...if ya know what I mean.

First of all, I say if you're going to pray for rain, why not ask God to have it rain at night? That way we still have all of the wonderful daytime activities to enjoy at our leisure. If you're going to ask, ask for what you really want.

Second of all, I'm guessing that after a few thousand years of playing around with weather systems, making corrections for greenhouse gases, keep watch over the animals and our food supply, that God pretty much has the rain thing the way He wants it.

So if you don't mind, I'll just take what comes without expecting God to cater to my personal preferences as far as the weather goes. After all, He did give us a number of different climates and conditions to choose from and we are free to move to an area more suited to our likes and dislikes. (For example, if you're one of those people that has to have a "white Christmas", don't pray for it to snow in Southern Missouri--move to Iowa. I don't want to have to shovel your snow!) And if you feel that you just have to pray for rain--pray that it rains at night.

Just sayin'.

John