Praise for Rain & Snow...go easy on the Hail!

 

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
    or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
    for days of war and battle?
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
    or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 to water a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?

Job 38: 22-30 NRSVue

I tried not to be smug as I backed our vehicle out the garage a couple of mornings ago. In the gloom neighbours were scraping a substantial layer of ice off windshields thanks to a few hours of freezing rain through the night. 

We've experienced fog, snow, rain, freezing rain and ice pellets (hail wannabe?) this week and there's lots more coming.While we're told that variety is the spice of life and we really need lots of precipitation to replenish waterways and ground water some sunshine would be lovely.

There was a timely interview on the icy morning with a former meterologist, now a volunteer with the Rain, Hail, and Snow Network. He explained that while there are government precipitation monitoring sites across the country the work of volunteers is vital because rain and snow can be very local rather than uniform across a region. 

ABOUT  COCORAHS https://www.cocorahs.org/

CoCoRaHS (pronounced KO-ko-rozz) is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail, and snow) in their local communities. By using low-cost measurement tools, emphasizing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Website, we aim to provide the highest-quality data for natural resource, education, and research applications. The only requirements to join are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can affect our lives.

There are so many references to precipitation in all its forms in scripture. It is described as a blessing, mostly, and when it is absent it is considered a curse, even punishment from the Creator. There are also references to the patterns of precipitation that sustain agriculture and everyday life. The self-inflicted curse of our time is the unpredictability of rain, hail, and snow because of climate change and the havoc it creates.     `

When Ruth posts photos on Instagram of ice-covered branches or ski tracks in the snow she gets lots of likes and comments. So, why do we grumble? 

Speaking of which, I don't appreciate today's downpour in early January. This could have been snow, wonderful snow!

 ‘Bless the Lord, all rain and dew;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
 Bless the Lord, all you winds;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
 Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, nights and days;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
 Bless the Lord, ice and cold;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
 Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds;
   sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.

Song of Azariah and the Three Jews 1: 42-51 NRSVue