Wonderful, Wonderful, Rain!

Woke up to rain this morning.  Before last summer I wouldn’t have even noticed.  Before last summer I might mention a quick “Ho Hum” prayer of thanks for the moisture, but since we lived through last summer, that has changed forever.  Last summer was so dry in our area, we had no measurable rain from September through August and we had never experienced anything like it.  The temperatures soared past one hundred degrees day after day after day.  June through August saw unending temperatures of 105 – 110 or higher.  The nights offered no relief either, when we woke up in the mornings at dawn, temperatures of 80 or better met us.  It was unbearable to be outside by 9:00.  Gardening produced very little crops, the pastures and ditches and yards were brown or even white they were so dry.  All creeks, rivers and ponds went dry.  When we walked across our white Bermuda grass yard, it would crumble to powder beneath our feet.  Farmer’s in the area had to sell their livestock because they had nothing for them to eat.  Listening to the weather man only increased our misery as he would say night after night, no rain, no change, no cool front in sight.  Long term forecasts said we were in the same pattern that they saw in the “dirty thirty’s” and they expected this pattern to last for three years or longer.  We envisioned the dust storms of that era happening here.  Mark questioned should we water the grass close to the house for fire prevention purposes or save the water.  We worried that our well would run dry.

When fall came and we got a small shower it was met with such gratitude.  Heartfelt thanks to the Lord showed up on Facebook and in our conversations.  And although we were still in the severe drought category, winter gave us enough rain here and there to make the wheat fields look healthy and green.  Spring brought even more rains and some ponds started filling up.  However, I think other people shared my fear that once summer hit it would be just like last summer.  But, oh, thank you Lord, it hasn’t been.  Every week or so we’ve gotten rain!  Everything is green, the garden is producing, the ponds are full, the rivers are running and the temperature has only reached 100 one day and the nights are cool.  Now when I hear rain, I am just so grateful, I know rain is one of God’s most precious blessings.  The little inconveniences that come along with it, the tracked in mud, the messy chicken house and eggs, even the high humidity it brings, are no longer inconvenient.  I guess that saying is true, you don’t know what you have till it’s gone, and boy am I grateful that it has come back!