Welcome the rains

The National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) was launched two days ago by PNoy, a welcome move to make our country self-sufficient in energy. Together with the Road Revolution launched last June 12 in Cebu City spearheaded by Tony Oposa, the NREP will also allow us to be independent of fossil fuels in the near future!!!

NREP can start with the rains and storms that are frequently visiting our country these days. Harvesting the rain, educating the people how to store and safely use the rainwater, and installing an effective system of safe rainwater catchments in all government and private offices, in schools, in churches, throughout all communities throughout the country will allow more water supply and free energy source at that!

Rather than allow the rains to turn to floods and disease-carrying stagnant water, rain harvesting, if done systematically and effectively, can allow more of our people and our communities to be free of their water needs to some degree.

Apart from rain harvesting, can you suggest other creative ways of welcoming the rains and the storms that frequently visit our country?

One participant of the Renewable Energy Summit conducted last year in Cebu City shared their creative response to the problematic storms that Samar encountered in the past. They decided to plant more trees along the path of the typhoons and the trees took in most of what would have been harmful volumes of rain and strong winds. Without the trees, the rains and storms would have directly hit ground, posing much harm and destruction to people in Samar.

By welcoming the rains and the storms with their creative response, this Samar experience turned what would have been negative and harmful to something positive and useful! Not only was the fury of the rains and storms diverted, the planted trees have other benefits such as fruits and food for the people, homes for the birds and insects, very effective antidote to climate-change, and so on.

Let us then welcome the rains and the storms that visit our country in more positive, creative ways. Doing so will speed up the use of more renewable energy in our country which will translate to reaching out to the most needy among our people.

Let us not welcome only the rains and storms but let us embrace as well the sun, the waves, the winds, the waterfalls, the hot springs and other wonderful abundant resources our country has been showered with from God up above!!!

On a more spiritual level, today’s June 15 reading of L.B. Cowman’ STREAMS in the DESERT (pp. 233-235) also discussed about the rains in our life. A poet looked at the rains and wrote, “It isn’t raining rain to me – it’s raining daffodils!”

Instead of rains, the poet saw flowers. Rather than be frightened about the “cloud of gray that engulfed the day and overwhelmed the town, the poet saw, not the rains, but the ROSES!!!

Translate rains and storms in your own life as the downpour or torrents of trials, challenge, disappointments that bring you grief, tears and pain. Rains and storms can stop you from moving on if you so decide.

However, can you also see the rains and storms in your life instead as rains of BLESSINGS?  Can you see that “beneath the pounding rain are spiritual flowers, more beautiful and fragrant than those that ever grew before in your stormless and suffering-free life?”

Can you see the flowers, not the rains? Can you see the blessings, not the afflictions? Can you see the “tenderness, the love, compassion, patience, and a thousand other flowers and fruits of the Holy Spirit, bringing in your life spiritual enrichment that all the prosperity and ease of this world could never produce in your innermost being?”

Can you sing “songs across the storms and hear God’s assuring voice sing love across the storm?”

Let us welcome the rains, the storms, the winds, the sun, the waves and all the blessings and love that come with all these life-renewing energy sources!!

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