Trinkets, Baubles, Gewgaws, and Doodads....

Observation:

What is it about the rain that evokes such strong emotions from people? It's water falling from the sky. Yet it has evoke such passionate feelings from people. Some people grow depressed in the gray dreariness, feeling separated from their fellow man. They feel a yearning to belong. They feel lonely.


Others retreat to their memories. They listen to the patter of rain on the roof and become wistful for days past. They look off in the distance with a smile, recounting time spent with others in the rain. These people look forward to creating more memories in the rain. On the flip side, some may call to mind painful memories. As such, they mumble the old childhood song "Rain rain, go away..." They often slip into the first group, feeling isolated. Cut off from the world around them.

Yet others take the rain with immense joy. They smile as the sky waters the grass and plants. They see God's own providence in the rain. They bear witness the The Lord's hand tending to the Earth. They watch as all creation comes back to life with just a touch of water. It reminds them that God's own rain fills their lives day to day; that waters from the spring of life flow through them and will replenish them, as well. I think this is the group I'd like to be in more often than I truly am.

All of this coming from the seemingly innocuous act of water falling from the sky...

Hawksley Workman, a musician I will probably reference quite often, once wrote one of the most beautiful songs on the matter. It is simply called "Rain." It opens with the lines "Rain. Rain. Falling is the only thing you ever do. You're getting pretty good... You're getting pretty good at it now..." It adds to this thought with its simple chorus of "You make it seem so graceful, the peace within your sound. You're just falling from the sky onto the ground." It closes with the words "Pain. Pain. Why did I invite you to be here again. I thought we were through when I walked away in the rain."

I think this captures something of how I feel about it. The rain is a simple, natural act with such a tremendous emotional impact.


Aside:

What is it about silly little objects that make me smile? What is it about shiny little toys and things that turn me back into a child? For example, recently I found a ring being sold in an online store. I am not big on male jewelry, and as a single man I've no use for a ring. Yet I quite liked this ring. Something about this particular ring made me want one for myself. But it is never something I would buy. I do not believe in buying jewelry just to be worn.

However, this made me realize I'm the same way with many different curios. Silly toys that elicit nostalgic feelings in me are readily purchased. A board game that has been branded by markings of an old band is greedily snatched up. My apartment is littered with lamps awaiting repairs because I can't bear them being destroyed as their previous owners would have done. Silly pictures get purchased to be put upon walls.

I just can't figure out... why?


A humorous anecdote:

Today before leaving work there was a brief discussion taking place about history. My boss asked what it would be like to truly meet Christ's disciples. What would it be like to talk with them and truly understand their language? This question struck my fancy and whilst mulling it over Jon adds "Yeah, usually you hear about them all grouped together, with a couple of exceptions. Like Peter was the one who probably screwed up all the time, and Judas was probably an asshole."

That's right. The man who sold out the Savior of all mankind for some petty cash was probably an asshole. Either Jon has a penchant for understatement, or he may just be the nicest most forgiving person alive today.