I felt the rains down in Africa

I hear wild goats cry out in the night.
(A little Toto reference for you there. Classic.)

But really, I did feel the rain, and here is that story.

Taking a page out of my dear father's book, I went for a run to get a better sense of my surroundings and learn more of my neighborhood's ins and outs. I went out with my running buddy, my cousin, Lydia. Lyd took me to this old airstrip (still channeling my father). It is definitely the flattest stretch of earth I've seen since getting here, but I wouldn't say that it is level because of the vast number of ditches and potholes that one must avoid. We ran the full length of it and were accompanied on this run by a Rwandan man who ran up, shook my hand and said Bonjour!, and then ran the rest of the way with us. It was great.

We managed to make it back to the house right as it started to rain. As I've said before, the rain moves in out of nowhere, but, as I have not said before, it also gathers speed the longer it rains. It starts as a light rain and, in a matter of seconds, it starts to all out pour like the floodgates of the sky have been thrown open. So, Lyd and I made it back into the yard just as the rain was really starting to pick up. From inside, we could see that it even started to hail (because when you think Africa, your mind immediately goes to hail). Lydia looked at me with this huge grin and said, "SJ, do you want to go play in the rain?" To which I responded, "Yes!" and we immediately ran outside. I was drenched in seconds and frozen to my core. We ran through the puddles and saw who could stand under the gutter run-off the longest (channeling Gene Kelley at this point). Lyd won, of course.

Playing in the rain makes me think of all the songs that reference God and the rain.

Hallelujah, grace like rain.
Mercy it falls like a sweet spring rain.
Your love soaks me so completely, til I'm drenched in your great love.

(That last one is one we sing at camp with the kids written by Bonzai, one of the coolest people on the planet.)

The point is, if the downpour of rain can soak me instantly, how quickly can God cover me in his love, mercy, grace? Pretty neat, huh?