Summer Rain

While Noah was napping today I noticed that it had started to rain outside. At first I paid it no attention besides thinking about how the weather they had forecast on Sunday for the week sure differed from what was going on outside at the moment. In the kitchen I cut myself a brownie and grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer.
As I started to walk from the kitchen to the couch to relax with my brownie and a book, I felt the pull of the weather leading me to the doors out to the balcony (we are in a second floor apartment.) I couldn't stop myself as I took my brownie out onto the balcony and sat on a chair just out of the rain under the protection of the awning.
I felt the slight chill in the air and drank in the crisp scent that rain brings with it. I marveled at the way the rain collected in puddles at certain points in the pavement in the parking lot. I found the chorus of the song "Grace Like Rain", by Todd Agnew, drifting into my head: "Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me. Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."
Grace is a funny word to me. I have to admit that the first thing I think of when I hear the word "grace" is my niece. Her middle name is Grace. Then I think of our friends' daughter and her middle name is Grace as well. In fact, I know many little girls carrying the first or middle name of Grace. I think of the word "grace" in terms of ballerinas as well, or someone being graceful, moving with fluid-like motions.
Rarely do I think of God's grace when I hear the word. Today I actually thought about it, though. As I watched the rain fall, I thought of the definition of grace and realized I didn't really know what it meant. I turned to good old Webster, which says grace is "unmerited help given to people by God (as in overcoming temptation); freedom from sin through divine grace." I also looked in our "Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms" (I guess we did keep some books from college.) Their definition states that "Grace is the generous overflow of the love of God the Father toward the Son, Jesus Christ. This love is most clearly demonstrated to humans through God's selfless giving of Jesus to enable people to enter into a loving relationship with God as the Holy Spirit enables them."
Awesome. Grace is beautiful. Whether it is in the form of a young 3 year old child, ballet movements, or God's love overflowing like rain onto us. As I watched the rain fall, I longed to run down into it. I had an overcoming desire to stand in the rain, arms outstretched, face turned upwards, embracing my God's overflowing love for me. His grace. He sends rain to nourish, to wash away dirt, to grow. He sends his grace to nourish, to wash away stains, to grow us.
"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me.
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."