It rained today.I stepped out onto the deck of the second-floor apartment where we temporarily hang our hats, and listened to the rush of pouring water on the trees. It made my heart swell, it really did. I haven't heard rain falling on anything but concrete in nearly two years.
And the smell...oh, the sweet smell of Spring rain in the woods. Short of a fresh-cut Christmas tree or a new baby's head, nothing quite tops it.
Bright stepped outside with me, xylophone in hand, to, and I quote, "...sing a little song about the rain." This is what he sang:
"The rain is from God.
It comes from the clouds
that fill up with rain
and water the plants that he made."
Now, the tune was nothing to brag about, but the lyrics are impressive. I think he, like me, is in a tighter relationship with the words of this world than with the sounds. He certainly knows how to express himself. Take our recent breakthrough, for example. Since babyhood he has responded negatively to compliments. He hates them, in fact. We keep complimenting him, however, and he cringes every time. It has been a bit of a problem. Then, just the other day he said, "Mom, I don't want you to talk about what I do, I want you to talk about what I love."
Profound.
The rain continued this evening, in the form of friendship, as we ate marinated chicken tenderloins off the grill with our dear friends, Wes and Allison. Wes happens to be our pastor, and Allison my treasured mentor, but they are our dear friends first and foremost. Time spent with them, and their sweet daughters, waters our hearts.
Brave had a nasty fall, which sent Daniel to Wal-Mart for infant Motrin in the middle of his buttered sweet potato, but bumps and bruises included, the evening was warmly spent. Our hearts drank yesterday evening as well, as we ate stuffed chicken marsala with Daniel's childhood best friend, Tyler, and his beautiful wife Casey (who is fast becoming a favorite friend of mine). We laughed and laughed, and swapped stories of new beginnings, quirky kids, and traveling prophets. To quote my friend, Lou's, Facebook page, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in
return."
Here is Bright, singing in the rain.
