Gentle rain on a Sunday

It's been a while since we had any rain. My rain barrels emptied out this week, but they filled up again today. I took a little walk in the gentle rain, and took my camera with me. It smelled so good, and was soft enough that the birds were still singing in the trees. Then it thundered, and I thought, maybe I should go in...

The soft falling of the rain reminded me of the gentle words of my favourite scripture, verses 10-13 in the Song of Songs:

My beloved speaks and says to me:
"Arise, my love, my fair one,
    and come away;
for now the winter is past,
    the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
    the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
    is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
    and the vines are in blossom;
    they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
    and come away.

The rain brings flowers, a time of singing, the voices of birds, fruit blossoms and fragrance. The presence of love, of God, is so clear in springtime -- or after a dark night of the soul. Do you hear the Beloved's voice in the signs of spring around you? Do you know yourself to be loved through the gifts of beauty this season?