From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

For those who don’t know, I lived in the Midwest for three years while in grad school (Evanston, just outside of Chicago).  I loved living around Chicago until about mid February.  Although with as much snow as they have had this year, I would have really disliked the winter.  Around mid February, I would start calling home to complain about the cold and start missing the rain.  When I moved back and a dear friend of mine visited, he laughed because every person he met commented on the rain in Oregon.  We would mention that I was taking him to the coast and almost every person said, “oh gosh, it rains at the coast.”  It has since become something we say to each other. “How are you? Is it raining at the coast?”

Now, it does rain here in the valley in Oregon but probably not as much as we tell people (don’t let that secret get out).  But it rains quite a bit.  There have been many memories of being soaked but going outside anyway…what does a little rain hurt?  And do you really need an umbrella? No way!  In fact, it rains so much that now that we have had a few days of sun I am starting to miss the rain.  Don’t  worry, it is supposed to come back on Tuesday.  I am grateful because our world needs the wet these days.  I love the rain.  I get comfort when it rains outside.  I get worried if it has been dry just a little too long.  And one of my favorite days of the whole year is rain after a long dry spell in summer. I love the smell.  I love the feel and I love to snuggle inside when it is really coming down.  I also love when a good rainbow appears (I will take on the rainbow in Genesis sometime during Lent…don’t worry).