Seen in the Rain

 Let us acknowledge the LORD:

Let us press on to acknowledge Him.

As surely as the sun rises,

He will appear;

He will come to us like the winter rains,

like the Spring rains that water the earth.

Hosea 6:3

This latest string of rainy days doesn't really surprise us.  It's Spring in southwestern Ontario, after all.  Some rain, although more usually associated with April, is still very much expected in May.  Expected.  As in, it kind of wouldn't be Spring without some rain.

I didn't go out for my walk this morning.  Some of you are far more disciplined and would have put on the rain gear and gone out there anyways.  But this morning I'm feeling all the rainy day vibes of staying indoors and just going slow.  Could also have something to do with the improving-but-still-there side effects of the medication I'm on, due to the improving-but-still-there, easy-does-it GI issues I'm recovering from (quite nicely according to my doctor).  

But mostly I think it's this another-rainy-day thing that's giving me this gradual ramp up to my day. Not sure if I like it or not.  On one hand, I have to have realistic expectations of myself right now.  On the other, it feels like I just wasted those solid early morning hours when I am usually so productive.

 And in that not-yet-ready-for-work-so-avoiding-getting-started-and-a-little-frustrated mood, I was randomly looking up Biblical references for rain, and reminded of this part of Hosea's prophecy.  And this time reading it, I was intrigued by the word 'acknowledge.'

In Hebrew it's 'yada'  [And for the linguistic nerds among us, I'll include the Hebrew spelling יודע].  This is both a common and broadly defined word in the Old Testament, AND an important idea for Hosea.  

Without getting too deep into it,  I will just say here that it means in part "to know deeply, intimately."  Or maybe "to understand completely."  To add a science fiction nerdiness to this, compare it to the Na'vi greeting "I see you," as depicted in the James Cameron film Avatar.

If you're still with me at this point, what struck me in this morning's reading was the repetition-plus-intensifier of the idea to "acknowledge," then "press on to acknowledge" God.  Hosea's audience had begun to take Him for granted, perhaps even forget about Him entirely, perhaps even - and this was the scandal of the prophet's own life - betray Him outright.

God's faithfulness is not in question.  Just like we can expect Spring rains, He always shows up.  

And I wonder if two things might reveal a lack of "deeply knowing" this. 

Worry.

And/or...

Living as if it all depends on me.

So slow start to the day notwithstanding, and with this important reorientation in place, I'll get to my work now.  I think.  I hope.  And either way, God shows up.  I am seen.  The rain reminds me.