Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. – Ecclesiastes 11:7, King James version
The nickname of the state of Washington, the Evergreen State, refers to our expanses of evergreen forests. However, I like to think of it as meaning everything is always green here. And why is everything always green here? Well, we get plenty of rain. In some parts of the country, rainstorms appear suddenly, there’s a downpour, and then the sun appears once again in its glory. Here, however, the rain usually distills down gently. This means that life can proceed as usual. We ladies still go on our walks in the rain, and the children’s sports activities such as soccer and baseball and track competitions, continue. We are so used to the gentle, prevalent rain, that we rarely even use an umbrella. The only down-side to our precipitation pattern is, not only can the skies be cloudy all day, they can be cloudy day after day after interminable day. After so many grey days, I start to reminisce about the deserts of Arizona, the land of blazingly clear skies. This morning, however, I am reminded of why I love it here. Yes, everything is green. Fresh spring growth is bursting forth, the grass is getting bushy, the daffodils have come and gone and the tulips are almost past, too. But, best of all, the rain has stopped. The sky is a clear, misty blue, and the growing green-ness all around is almost electric in the SUNSHINE! Yes, I am enjoying the rare springtime occurrence of a sunny day. I could think of many more spiritual blessings for which to thank the Lord, but I heartily thank Him for this, for this cheering, warming, encouraging SUNNY DAY.