Walking in the Rain

The recent spring showers here in the Ozarks of Missouri have me thinking about a lesson I learned while living in the rainforest of Southeast Alaska: it’s okay to walk in the rain.

Before moving to Alaska, I was one of those women who would grab her umbrella at a single drop of rain. However, only the tourists carry umbrellas in Southeast Alaska. Umbrellas are not practical devices there because of the constant rain accompanied with strong winds. I was allowed to get away with using my umbrella for the first few months, but the grace period ran out when I was informed by a local that the time had come to ditch the umbrella.

At first, walking in the rain was very uncomfortable. My hair would return to its natural state of curliness, and my make-up would vanish from the moisture blowing in my face. I soon started to realize that everyone else walked in the rain with me and that they looked as good as I did doing it. Over time a funny thing happened; I got used to walking in the rain.

Life always seems to bring an abundance of rain. The rain may come in a variety of forms: constant turmoil at work, an unruly child, stressful relationship issues, overwhelming financial obligations, disappointment from unmet expectations, and broken dreams.

How ever the rain pours down on you in life, determine that you will remove yourself from the safety of your umbrella. It may be hard to get out of bed in the morning, to go to work or school, to keep relationships intact, and to just do the ordinary things of life, but keep walking. Jesus is walking in the rain with you, and he is willing to give you the direction, comfort, and counsel that you need through the rain.

Late May in Southeast Alaska brings forth vibrant, green foliage that dresses the mountain ranges in splendor. The indescribable beauty is the harvest from the rain sown throughout the year. Likewise, the difficult times in your life will eventually bring forth beauty. As you walk through the rain with Jesus by your side, you will be amazed at the beauty that will eventually come from the very rain that you didn’t think you could walk through.

Blessings,

Stephanie

(If you would like to leave a comment, click on the word comments below.)