When It Rains
The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Have you ever been that kid that watched the clouds move in the sky. Especially on a windy day when they are racing in a certain direction. I always remember thinking how cool it is. I would pause and watch them rush and gather together and cover up the sky. The sun would try to keep peeking out but that would also soon be blocked. The next thing I know, it gets darker and darker until it is all clouds in the sky and the raindrops begin. Have you ever thought about how that resonates with our personal life. We could be going on our happy joyful way like the sun. All of a sudden clouds move in. The troubles start to appear. Sometimes they move in slowly like a small scratch or cut that slowly leads to tetanus in your body. Sometimes they move in quickly like a car crash that lands you in critical care. But next thing you know there are clouds everywhere and its starting to rain.
Rain starts falling on your head, over your life, your heart, your family, your job. You scramble to find cover. A sort of protection. Like a Band-Aid or in some ways control over the situation. We are getting wet and we want it to stop. Maybe drinking or drugs can numb the pain of the raindrops and we will be okay. Maybe pushing the feelings down or ignoring them will make it easier or manageable. But it’s like stepping on something slippery. It will only cause us to fall. Which then makes the situation worse. Now you’re on the ground trying to get back up to where you were before. Which was upright and running. You’ve instead taken steps back and now need to recover.
Maybe you are the lucky one who had an umbrella. Someone to help us and give us some protection and guidance. But what if we then believe we need this person to survive. We can’t make any decisions on our own. We turn to them for everything. We cannot afford to lose this umbrella. It’s our only hope in this storm. We start to believe there is no other way for us to get dry. This gets dangerous because if the wind suddenly blows and that umbrella is gone with the wind or breaks we are stuck in the rain again feeling hopeless and lost.
It gets worse when the lightning and thunder arrive. What we really should be looking for is shelter. A proper cover that will protect us from this storm. Something to keep us dry and warm or carry us through safely. That’s what God is to us when troubles hit. Our safe place. Our refuge that gives us peace and strength. He has always been right there just waiting for us to turn towards Him and take His hand to guide us to shelter.
Though sometimes there is a twist. The rain doesn’t always come to cause havoc. Sometimes its needed for growth. Those same storms that you despise could be teaching you patience or giving you strength or even showing you the strength you never thought you had. Bet you didn’t think you could conquer the things you have conquered. Pause and think about those previous battles. The rain came in and when the clouds started to disperse and the sun came back out again you came out a new flower. Either way when the rain passes through nothing is left the same.
