Falling like grace upon us all

It's been raining in Fort Worth -- blessed rain that has come down in sheets at times but more often has fallen gently on an appreciative thirsty earth. It has fallen on all of us too, the worthy and the unworthy, not unlike God's love and grace.

This Sunday morning, I sit at the table upon which my cat Simon is reclining -- he helps me read the paper while I drink my coffee -


and listen to the tiny snores of contented dogs sleeping on the couch and floor nearby.

It's a sleepy day, with the raindrops patting the roof and blurring the windows. It's that last that makes me feel as if I'm in Giverny, living in the middle of a Claude Monet painting. At long last, my Texas garden looks like an impressionist's garden in France -- all soft lines and blurry colors.

The front porch even looks romantic.

And the walk outside the front window looks all soft and dreamy.

It would be easy to just sit here for most of the day, sunk in daydreams and thoughts of how easily worked the earth will be when the rain finally stops and I can be in the garden again.

But it's time to get ready for church, to join my friends in giving thanks and praise to the loving God who brings us rain, sweet cats, and contented dogs.