did someone call noah?

It’s raining.  Now.  Again.  We’ve been getting a lot of rain here lately. I think it’s OK, because we need the rain. Gardens have been planted, and it’s time for God’s watering plan to kick in.  My next door neighbor is building a lighthouse (seriously, he is) and I think we might need it.

Some people will disagree with me, but I love the rain. Don’t get me wrong–I don’t like to walk around sloppin’ wet when I have to be places and meet people. I hate the water rides at amusement parks (much to the chagrin of my kids) for that very reason. Who wants to walk around for the rest of the day in wet undies? And don’t even get me started on the quality of the water at the park. Have you looked at that funk?

But I love the rain. I like to listen to it fall through our trees. I love the fact that it makes the ground soft, that it waters and feeds the grass, flowers, and gardens. As a kayaker, it means that the creeks will rise, and we might be able to sneak out to catch a run in a local creek.

I think it started for me when I was a student at Toccoa Falls College (home of the 186 foot, um, Toccoa Falls).  It was there that I met two of the most perpetually happy people I know–my lovely wife, and my best man, Phil Human.  Both of ’em are as positive about life as you can imagine.  Constant grin, can’t wait to see how good today can be, infectious laugh, always ready to have fun…

Phil did some memorable and historic things at Toccoa, including (but not limited to) tossing his mattress out the top floor window to celebrate the end of finals one year.  I’ll never forget the rain walks, though.  Every Spring is incredibly wet in Toccoa, and loads of us would be miserable, complaining about the weather, ready for some sunshine.  Phil, with his loud New York accent, would put on his work boots (sugarkickers, he called them) and head out into the rain, armed only with a song (usually the Cathedral Quartet) and a smile.  Umbrellas are for wimps!  He knew exactly where the best puddles would be found, and he often convinced us to join him.  I have to admit, after a few runs through the puddles outside the library, we’d end up laughing and splashing and singing along.

To this day, I still like to take walks in the rain…it reminds me of a time when a good friend helped me see things from a different perspective, turning a rain date into a play date.

Just don’t ask me to ride Trashwater Falls with you the next time we’re at Six Flags…