Raise your hand if Hurricane Harvey has given you PTSD. We remember the water coming from above and below in those days. One of my memories of the incessant bands that dropped some fifty inches of rain was taking Xena the Warrior Princess Dog out in the front yard with an umbrella. Even she knew something was amiss. When we returned inside, Xena immediately, instinctively, climbed up on the footstool. She never did it before, and never since. But Xena knew she needed to get to higher ground. Later the water in the storm drains reversed direction and our streets filled with water.
Was the rain in Noah’s day the first rain in history? Some scholars say so based on the omission of any mention of rain in the creation accounts themselves. What did the people think when the thunder started to roll and rain began to fall? Water came from below and above. God provided an exit strategy for Noah and his family. For others, there was no place to run or to hide.
Seeing the sunshine after the extended rainy days has been good for me today. Melanie and I soaked it up on a long walk. Researchers at Harvard are even testing Vitamin D as an antidote for depression. The sunrise and sunset provide a cadence for our lives. Let the first light you see each day be the light of the sun. Watch the sun set every chance you get. This rhythm tells our brains when to wake and when to sleep. In the natural gift of sunlight, God has given us a pattern for our work and rest. In some cases, screen light has disrupted the rhythm. But God will restore it if we park our electronics a few hours before we sleep.
