A Bible, Chai Tea, and Rain

This morning I woke to the whisper of soft rain. Not only does a good rain soothe me, but knowing how much the land here needs the rain, it's a double cause for celebration. I rejoice that it hasn't stopped yet; it's just maintained the steady soft hush the last three hours.

My routine this week (if I can even say I have one) has been helter skelter, and I haven't been the best about making sure I spend time reading my Bible each morning. Sometimes I have tossed a prayer up to God on my rush out the door, other times I've sat reading and re-reading the same passage because my mind keeps wandering to the things that need to be done during the day. Today I sat down next to the kitchen window, cup of chai tea in hand, and opened my Bible.

The feeling that came over me surprised me. The cool, damp breeze floating on the hush of the rain combined with the smell of my chai tea, and I was transported to Luther Dell Bible Camp. For the last 6 years, August has brought with it a mix of scurrying, packing, preparing, then living at Luther Dell for 3 weeks. For the last 6 years I have been a part of Youth Encounter's team training. This August marks the first year since 2002 that I will not be traveling up there. I'm not sure I know what to do with myself! On the one hand, I'm thankful for the time I'll get to spend with friends and family here because I won't be working 16 hours a day for a month. On the other hand, I will truly truly miss the quiet mornings, cup of chai in one hand, Bible in the other, when I sat lakeside at Luther Dell talking to God. If I close my eyes, I can feel the planks of the dock beneath me and see the placid lake stretching out in front of me. I can see the dew on the tall wildflowers beside me and hear the loons calling. I feel the cool morning air on me, and see the fog lifting from the lake. I long for those moments at Luther Dell, when the world seemed to stop and life could be seen so clearly.