Feelin’ the Grace

Earlier this week, I stepped on a bunch of dry leaves, and before I knew it, my feet were assaulted by a troop of baby fire ants. That cluster of foliage camouflaged the battleground where those aggressive little critters and I fought it out. They bit with venom, and when the attack was over, I knew that by evening I’d be nursing my wounds.

Though mostly cloudy, the temperature was warm enough to sit comfortably outside in short sleeves and bare feet (obviously). I sat on the wooden swing and listened to music: a contemporary Christian station on my Pandora app and the birds chirping in nearby trees. My heart was all smiles.

A week before, I had taken a picture of Carolina Jessamine growing at the base of a leafless tree on the other side of the fence. From where I sat, I noticed it had crept higher, so I stood and walked to the fence to snap a photo for an updated shot. This was when I had my hostile encounter with the fire ants.

For nearly thirty minutes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were ants on my feet again. When I finally settled down, I noticed the sky had changed. There were more clouds now—dark rain clouds moving almost as fast as I did when trying to shake off those darn ants.

I didn’t mind the sprinkle when it showed up, but I didn’t want my phone to get wet, so I took cover under the lanai. It’s a good thing I did because it started raining harder. I relaxed in my chair, watching the clouds burst, smelling the wet freshness, and listening to the pouring rain on the patio.

The experience reminded me of the times as a kid when I would sit on my front porch and be mesmerized by a downpour. I lived on a hilly street with row homes on both sides, and neighbors often met outside to watch the show. When there was no lightning, Mom would set us kids free to splash and get soaked.

Next thing I knew, I was out of my chair, raising one leg and then the other under the overflow spilling from the roof. The cold water felt so good on my sore feet that I laughed out loud. I love it when God gives me pause and cause to be grateful for circumstances I’m not initially thankful for.

Instead of enjoying a sunny day, God sent rain, and I got to reminisce about happy childhood times. Instead of taking a photo of a trumpet-shaped yellow flower, I got attacked by ants, but I got to kinda-sorta reenact one of those happy times. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that sometimes the free, unmerited favors from God make me tear with awe.

After I cooled my feet, I sat back down to continue observing the rain-shower show. The gray scene looked beautifully eerie, so I grabbed my dry phone to take pictures. In one of the shots, I zoomed in on the drenched swing, the one that lured me earlier to sit and wait for the sun to come out.

Eventually, I headed inside, had something to eat, and settled into an indoor seat to lounge. Flipping through the photos, I discovered yet another grace moment caught on camera. As an added gift, God made it snow in Florida!

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.” —- John Updike