2003-09-26 - 5:44 p.m.
June 2, 2003
Today was a world of the white of a million drops splashing on the film of water on my windshield and pavement, and of hail. Hail! I used to run outside everytime it hailed--I loved it so. But this was dangerous, plummeting gumballs that everyone drove to get out of the rain until I was the only idiot driving and guessing at the entrance to a gas station.
On the way back to the Center I saw the most amazing sky of lines and patterns. The sun beams filtered at an acute angle one way, the clouds streamed another, creating a hatch effect in the clouds. In the midst of it all came the downward gush of rain that did not touch the ground. And just as I was in the middle of marveling over the awesome pencil study that lay before me, came the smudge of a rainbow. I thanked Him as I have been waiting for the rainbow for a few days now.
At the Center, fifteen miles from town, and about thirty minutes after the storm, was hot, sunny blue reflected in the rain puddles.
My boss told the story of the time he was herding cattle, racing a storm. The storm came quicker than he predicted. A few minutes after he estimated fifteen or so minutes, the lead cow was struck with lightening and Steven dropped from his thirteen hand tall horse to get out of the way of any more chances.
The cowboy band at Flying W professed heartfelt Christianity, and when they sang gospel songs I understood how they could not refuse Him into their hearts during the round-ups under the huge sky. But Steven, who is Catholic by default, reminded me why some cowboys, or ranchers, have no heart for Him. They have to be self-reliant to a huge extent, they are down-to-earth about life, have little time to rest in the pews and in reading. My heart sunk a bit.
