African Fireworks

It lightninged tonight. What a beautiful display!

Fred stopped by this evening (and he brought me chocolate... what a sweetheart!), and I rode with Sister Julie to drop him off halfway to his house. It rained all the way there, and I believe it was the first time I’ve been for a night ride in the rain since graduating college. I didn’t pay very much attention to the conversation in the car because I was too distracted by the sky. The clouds lit up every few seconds with hidden lightning as if there were a slow strobe light tucked away inside. As Juliana and I crawled through the night traffic, the rain stopped, and somehow, covered in rain, the world felt more peaceful.

When we returned to the house, I went out on the roof. The air was fresh and cool and smelled like rain. The clouds covered the stars, the moon, and the black of the sky, but I wasn’t worried... after the amazing night I had the previous night staring up at the beautiful stars, I felt very assured that the stars were right there waiting for me, still shining behind the clouds. Also, before it started raining tonight, when I was walking from the school to the house, I looked up and was completely overjoyed to see the moon, a little crescent shining bravely next to the brightest star. I haven’t seen the moon at all in at least a week, and my joy upon seeing the moon again after such a long absence reminded me of how I feel when a dear friend comes back from a much-too-long holiday. As soon as I entered the roof, I looked up to say hello, and although the moon was hidden by the clouds, I knew it was still there shining for the rest of the world to enjoy, and this knowledge made me smile.

I stood on the roof (unwilling to sit down in a puddle of rainwater) and watched the lightning in the distance. At first, it just lit up the clouds like a camera’s flash, and I enjoyed the pulsing brightness for several minutes. Just as I was about to go inside, the the lightning broke through the clouds, and I could see the thunderbolt, a white zigzag in the sky. I decided to stay on the roof, waiting to see if it would lightning again... and it did! Flash upon flash snaked its way down the sky, lighting up that corner of the clouds. It reminded me of a fireworks show. I think fireworks are one of the best parts of life, along with brass bands, grass, chocolate, sushi, and John Mayer, so I was completely thrilled to have my very own fireworks show, just for me! I felt with total confidence that this African fireworks show was just for me, that God sent this storm just to make me happy. It made me feel very loved.

The school’s inspection was today. Last night, I stood on the roof and prayed that the inspectors would not come into my classroom... I’m still quite inexperienced, and what if I blew it for the whole school? I prayed and wore my lucky ladybug underwear to school... and either the prayers or the luck, or maybe both, worked. The inspectors didn’t come into my classroom, and my kids, after being severely warned by Mr. Tony to behave extra well today, were much quieter in class. The inspectors had some things to say about the school, but I’m too tired to repeat it now. Good night!