a little bit of rain

We called Uncle Deacon in a panic our first winter here in Oregon. We came home from a Christmas vacation to find water shooting out the side of our house and we were sick over the thought of how much this plumbing disaster was going to cost us. And at Christmas, too! It's been very helpful to have a general contractor for an Uncle, one who can explain (without grinning too wide) that this wasn't a broken pipe, at all. That down here in Ory-gun there is a sump pump under every house foundation, just to move out the winters accumulation of RAIN. John had a nice long pipe attached to this, that ran the water out to a culvert ditch. It was quite helpful, and kept our entire side yard from turning into a swamp. But Lucy, our neglected German Shep puppy, thought it was a 9 foot long plastic toy, stuck there just for her teething pleasure. (We'll get it re-attached here, soon.)

The photo makes it look puny, and doesn't do justice to the Multnomah Falls we have going on here. I am continually amazed by this, even after five years. Because you get to where you hardly notice the rain falling. You hear it at night, and you bundle up against drizzle out of habit, but mostly the wetness is just part of the day, unnoticed anymore. That all those minuscule drops, falling so consistently, could add up to something so big?

Reading our school books, the boys and I hear a low rumbling as the pump motor clicks on. It's unseen, somewhere cold and deep below us. We stand by the living room windows, safe and dry, bare toes on warm carpet, and we all stare down at the torrent.

Really?

That's all rainwater!?

It inspired me.

It's my soft, visual push this morning, and just in time. God knew I needed a real reminder that I am on the right path. The rushing water is my encouragement today to just keep pressing on.

For it's the little things, done often, that will add up to something great.