rain washed ...

In between her junior and senior high school years, my sister Ruthanne received an invitation to do some art studies at Olivet College. She did some absolutely stunning oil paintings that summer, one of which I will always remember. She painted the face of a girl looking out of a rain-streaked window ... the drops of rain looked SO real streaming down the glass, the girl's reflection in the window so perfect ... I loved that picture. The art instructor at the college subsequently "lost" all of the work Ruthanne did that summer ~ we were so disappointed! I remember that picture often on rainy days. Do you remember it, Ruthanne?

It began raining in the middle of the night last night and has been raining really hard here in Grand Rapids all day long ... and everything is rain washed ... clean ... the trees with wiggly reflections on the pavement ... the fallen leaves all shiny and rain-drenched ...

I've been making some progress with memorizing Ephesians. There are two verses in chapter one that use language that remind me of rain, and I like to think about the truths they are teaching as I listen to the raindrops on our roof ...
"So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son ... He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians chapter one, verse six and eight)

God is constantly flooding our lives with his wonderful kindness and undeserved love ... Ephesians is FULL of good stuff like this. I'm so thankful for all of it!