Purity of Heart

I was very happy this weekend, and it called my attention to something that I had not thought of before.

I was happy because it was Pascha (Easter). I am always happy on that day for many reasons. Today I thought a bit about other people, though. I wonder what it must be like to be Mrs. E or Mr. P? There lives are marked by generosity and love for others. It occurred to me that their joy on this night must be beyond anything that I could possibly understand.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that I get to be around people like them. But it seems to happen to me all the time, pretty much anywhere that I live. You would think that it would happen maybe once in a lifetime -- but it seems to me that it happens pretty much anywhere I go.

Deep Rains

I live in an arid mountainous region, but occasionally we get deep rains. This year, the rainy season was filled with slow, steady rains. It was slow enough to avoid flooding and constant enough to fill our resevoirs.

Normally, our valley has a certain kind of rugged beauty. When it rains, it blossoms. The hills are normally brown. This year, they were a dark green mottled with boulders. I could look out my office window down a line full of trees at the green hills. Even the vacant lots were suddenly bursting with natural growth. Those of you who live in temperate climates can hardly imagine how beautiful a lot full of tall green weeds can seem.

Another amazing feature of the rainy seasons is that it improves our air quality. Between the wind and the rain, the smog was blown back, revealing tall snow-capped peaks.

I have always loved decidious forest more than any other climate. But the desert has its own beauty, and it is a great joy when we can see it at its finest.