"Beauty in the Rain"

I am a sunshine and blue sky person. I do not handle gray and gloomy days very well. However, as a Father I try to teach my kids to see what even I have trouble seeing so that eventually one day they will be able to see better than I. So, whenever it is a rainy day I tell Anna and Seth, "Look at how God is helping the flowers, trees and grass grow. Thank you, Jesus, for the rain!" I say it as much to convince me as I do to teach them. Then, last night the four of us were taking a walk and it began to sprinkle. Anna said, "This will help us have beautiful flowers and help the grass grow." I smiled to myself and thought, "Now she is teaching me."

It is a lesson we are all well served to learn. Obviously it is natural for all of us to want sunny, blue sky days, but we also know that "in this life," as Jesus said, "you will have trouble." Dark clouds will roll in and the rain will fall. And when it does I am confronted with a question, "Am I willing...am I able... to find beauty in the rain?" It is not a beauty that you celebrate so much as it is a beauty that you respect. Just as rain has its place in nature so can it have its place in our lives. It does not mean that we have to enjoy it or want it, it just means that since we know life's rain will fall we can either curse it or some how, by God's grace, learn from it.

Today I have attached this link. It is a song called, "Bring the Rain." This song sings it better than I can write it. I invite you to set aside a few minutes today to stop everything, close your eyes and just listen. As you listen to the song, invite Jesus to let you hear his voice. What do you need to hear about the rain in your life? Can you find beauty in the rain? I welcome you to share your own story with me. Here is the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU