the flood of 08

[here's to me hoping that meaghan will see that i have returned to the blogspot world and she will soon come back as well.]

today the rain fell. i was at starbucks with katie. visiting meaghan on one of her long exhausting shifts, and i could smell the rain. one of those days when you could feel it in the air long before it begins. i told meaghan i would pick her up from work, out of fear that she would get off and it would be pouring.
as i was sitting on my couch, after i had returned her safely to the ark, the rains came. it fell lightly at first. then a multitude of small clear drops formed a transparent blanket of rain, layering down on the streets. thunder cracked around the house that we had made our home for the past year and lightning flashed daringly.
angela and i slowly lost attention in the tv and stood on the porch. it was the sound of white sheets of rain hitting rushing water. the streets had become waterways. as cans and trash floated down the allies they tempted us. come and play. and visions of canoes and mighty sailing adventures filled my mind. i stood under the safety of our porch for about ten minutes before i caved. i seriously questioned my decision to run out into the wild mess that hunter ave had become. mostly because i knew i was wearing clean clothes. clean clothes is something i currently do not have.



as i made my way out into the street letting the rain fall hard against my face, instantly soaking everything i had on, i remembered how much i love the rain. i remembered days when i was young, probably 11 or 12, when i would run out into my driveway and lay down. letting the water cover and consume me. i remembered being at rockbridge my senior year of camp and it rained all week. the pressure was so strong at times that we showered outside. i remembered falling to my knees in the shower one day last spring, begging to be cleaned.



i remembered being at tar hollow last summer with kelly. when the rain fell so hard. like it did today. everything was canceled for the day because of the rain. and i remember dancing. dancing in the rain like i was free. i remember taking kellys hand and running to the dock. eventually sprinting. running until my legs gave out and i fell at the edge of the dock and let the rain cover me. letting it take me in and wash me. i remember praying that i would be free. i remember praying that this would somehow symbolize the blood the pours over me daily.
it was here that i found myself today. standing in the middle of hunter ave as lightning struck down trees, crushing cars on both 10th and 9th ave, and rain encircled me until it hurt. losing my flip flops constantly in the flooding streets and chased them down. laughing. and playing. because i am free. and as angela made her way into the down pour i smiled to myself. because i couldnt imagine a better place for me to be. there is no better place than in the hands of my god. soaked in his grace.