Change in Perspective

As I sat in bed this morning listening to the rain I thought about how I've had to change my perspective about the weather now that I live in the Magic Valley of Southern Idaho. For years, rain was almost always a good thing, whether it was my growing up years in Southern Pennsylvania, or the seminary years in Richmond, Virginia or the Kentucky years and most especially the Colorado Foothills years. In every place I have ever lived and since I have never lived in Tornado or Hurricane country, rain has been a positive thing all year round.

But not in the Magic Valley. No, thanks to the wonder of irrigation, once the canal company releases the waters the farmers don't want to hear their pastor pray for rain or give thanks for it. It almost seems as though some farmers that I've had conversation with over these past three years wouldn't mind if it didn't rain at all during the irrigation season. Of course that could just be a few individuals and not all people involved in agriculture in Southern Idaho.

Thinking about it theologically for a moment, it is something that even here in very conservative and traditional Southern Idaho how man's impact on God's creation takes prominence. I mean, for all the editorials in the local paper about maintaining traditional values takes a back seat to the progress of contemporary agricultural technology. Perhaps its no big deal and maybe I don't quite have a grasp on the situation, but it really has been a challenge to realize that once the irrigation begins, talk of rain for most people turns sour until Autumn.