The God of weather

It's a rainy spring in central Cal. The ceiling collapsed in the office of one of our vice chancellors this afternoon, and water poured in. (A funny portent, or maybe a tongue-in-cheek divine retribution; we just heard she's leaving after the campus opens this fall for a job in Portland!) On my drive home from work, I'll likely catch a glimpse of the flooding creek. When I arrive, my children will be bouncing off the walls, having been cooped up in classrooms all day with no outdoor recess.

The weather has seemed to favor the campus lately. Yesterday rain was forecasted, but it held off while we opened the first of the campus' new buildings. Several weeks ago my boss took a photographer from a major California paper out to the campus site and the clouds opened up for some stunning shots. Last Friday we defied the forecast again for an on-site photo session with the chancellor and a photog from the Chronicle of Higher Education. (Watch for coverage in next Monday's issue!)

This reminds me of another phenomenon possibly coming up soon: sunny skies for General Conference. I've always heard stories of skies clearing for Conference, or for temple open houses, or for testimony meeting at Young Women's Camp. These are usually presented as testimony-building experiences -- God approves of an activity when the sun shines on it, or at least when the rain stops. Which seems nice, until it rains on what you know is right.

It rained on my wedding reception in August 1993. In Utah. That's not a time or place when rain should be that common. Yet there it was. I haven't ever been a huge fan of Alanis Morissette, maybe because it always seemed so dumb to me to get all worked up about rain on your wedding day. Sometimes it rains! No biggie!

Besides, I've always kind of liked wet weather. Not being out in it, but being tucked away inside while water pounds the roof. It's especially great in our current house with its wood shingles. On Sunday I listened to that soothing sound while my five-year-old creamed me in five Uno games in a row. We then moved on to Go Fish, where I finally won. We had a blissful day together. I loved it. It was at least as sweet an experience as the sky clearing above Temple Square.