① THE BIRDS IN THE RAIN
Tuesday was an Explanation Meeting for graduating junior highers, prospective students of Reimei High next year. It was from 1:30 in the afternoon...and it was sweltering. When I got there, it felt terribly hot; people were fanning themselves with either what they had brought for that purpose or using the handed-out literature; and others were wiping perspiration from their faces/necks. The speaker even started out saying that heat exhaustion was very possible in this kind of weather so to please speak up if anyone felt weak, and they could be shown a cooler room to lie down and rest in. When the program got underway, even the video projector refused to operate because it was so hot.
I began imagining myself going home and spending several hours in bed with a headache--I've done that before on really hot days.After about an hour, we had a ten-minute break, at which time it started raining. Mercifully, I thought, because it brought down the temperature! After that, I didn't see people fanning themselves, wiping off sweat, talking about the unbearable heat. Thank You God, I remember thinking. And it occurred to me how I'd never before been so glad it rained.
pic: Rain--I don't remember it being such a relief before.
Everyone was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Well, of course, until it was time to go home; and there were several who had not expected the rain so didn't bring umbrellas but had to run to the bus stop. Then I'm sure they were a little less than grateful for the temperature-lowering precipitation. Come to think of it, how can one be grateful to a Heavenly Father unless he knows Him as Father?Maybe that's why birds can sing in the rain? It is their Heavenly Father that feeds them everyday. (Matt. 6:26)
pic: The bus. Not the one I rode; I wanted the 静団地 one.
② THE CARP IN THE GULLEY
I took a walk in the rain this morning, glad for the cooler air.The rivers were higher, and even nearby gullies' flow was more rapid. I remembered the gully I visited before and said to myself that surely no carp would be there today, with the flow so fast. They would probably take refuge in calmer waters until the rain passed and the gully was more habitable. But I went to look anyway.
When I got there, at first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me: I thought I spotted a carp!
pic: There...near the bridge...isn't that a fish?
So I decided to get pics to place on this blog after all (I rued not having done so on my May 28 "Choosing Black" post), and adjusted the settings on my digital camera. But when I looked up, all I saw was the muddy gully. Yes, my wistful thinking had placed an imaginary carp in the water--I should have known--I berated myself and got ready to put the camera away.
pic: Another one! It IS a carp!
But no, I thought I saw another one! No, no; there were several, no trick of imagination; they were really there!
pic: Then, several more. There are at least 7 in this pic, if you look closely! (You would have to click on the photo and see the enlarged picture though.)
When a gust blew up some white stuff from the road and scattered it onto the surface of the water, carp, mistaking them for bread crumbs being tossed them, came boiling to the surface!pic: Carp, fighting for the "food"! Where did they come from?!
I stood there under my open umbrella, oblivious to the now-only-sprinkling rain, snapping shot after shot of the fish in the water (a good half an hour). I saw the warning light flash on my digital camera but kept taking photos, hoping it would not run out of battery. God is so good to give me the chance to put photos of these carp on the blog so soon!
It took me awhile, but I slowly realized what the carp were doing. They actually LOOKED for contrary current so they could swim against it. To them, it was like playing on the slides: I saw some swimming against the flow to get up to the bend where the current was the strongest; they let themselves get pushed downstream, all the while swimming against it, and when they got to the bridge area where there was little flow, they purposely swam back to the bend to be pushed back again and again.pic: Slide at a park nearby. My children played here when they were little. Wheeee!
So the birdies sing even when it rains; the carp swims--revels in--even the contrary current!
