The roses are blooming...

We got back into town yesterday after a great weekend travelling to both sides of the state to see family. Got in some good time with both sets of parents, laughed lots, etc. We also got to see some of the damage the early summer weather has been producing -- my parents' home shaking in the wind Thursday night; knowing we had rain here that flooded downtown the same night loomed overhead as we travelled to Independence on Friday; seeing the Wapsipinicon River in Indee starting to fill up that night; then torrential downpour leading to flooded streets on Sunday as we made the journey home. We had water in the house, not like some of our friends, but enough to be a pain. Then you see pictures of Story City, Mason City, even basements around town...

I get grumpy with stuff like this. I do not like when mechanicals break down, stuff leaks, etc. It drives me crazy. So a runny basement was not something I enjoyed coming home to. In the middle of trying to sop up water, deal with wet rugs, and being grouchy, my lovely wife Kari points out that the rose bush in front of the house has bloomed. Little red roses cover the vines, and they are quite pretty. I laughed then, and laugh now. It is just like God to, in the midst of things that seem to make a day fall apart, to put something little in to remind you that everything will be alright, and that beauty is around us to keep us sane.

Take time to find the roses today....