dancing in the rain

I remember when I was little, one of my favorite things to do was to play outside in the rain.

The rain is actually one of the things I miss most about Texas. I loved it. When there was a thunder storm late at night, my family would all go into my little brother's room and watch the lightning light up the night sky and "ooh and ahh" in reaction to the loud booms of thunder.

And on hot summer days when it would rain, I don't ever remember being sad about it. I remember the thrill of running outside with all my clothes on and dancing in the rain. If I close my eyes, I can almost feel the warmth radiating from the pavement beneath me, the cool rain drops falling on my face, and hear the excited squeals of delight from my little brother.

Oh, and I can't forget the wind shorts. The hot pink wind shorts.

I asked my mom if she could locate this photo. It's such an encapsulation of the memory of those days... those hot summer days that brought rain storms, and the utter delight and endless optimism that only a child can bring.

take note that my sister is literally pressing her face against the warm concrete. sorry, Liz. I just had to post this! and apparently my little brother is doing some sort of Pilates ab work :)

The past couple of weeks have been rough. Among other things, I had surgery myself and watched as my barely 2-year-old nephew had a second open heart surgery. I guess what they say is true...

When it rains, it pours.

Yet the Lord has given me the most unexpected, incredible peace and strength throughout this time - this time of rain, this time of pouring.

But I think that's when God works in our lives the most. After all, if we were just going through one hard thing, we might feels as though we could handle it on our own. But when we have several very tough trials all at once, we are left with no other choice but to surrender it all to the Lord because there is no way we could possibly navigate through it on our own.

And that's when the Lord provides us with a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). That's when the Lord gives us the most unexpected strength (Psalm 46:1). That's when the Lord uses our lives to be a blessing to others and a witness to His love and faithfulness.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 1: 6-7 (emphasis added)

Another one of the best things about summer rain storms in Texas was when they were over. At the end of our block on the corner, there was a huge tree. And underneath this tree was a ton of mud. The vast expanse of branches and leaves blocked the sunlight from the ground hindering any grass from growing below. While this may have been a source of frustration for the property owners, it was a source of great joy for my brother and sister and me.

After the storm, we would put on our swimsuits and run down to the end of the block. And we would play in the mud. Oh, the joy. As a child, I'm not sure there is much greater joy than slipping and sliding barefoot in the thick, warm mud left after a storm. Allowing yourself to be completely covered by it.

Question is: as adults, are we allowing ourselves to be completely covered by the mud left after a storm? I view the mud as the lessons we learn from trials - what's left when the rains cease, when the clouds part, when the sun peeks out again. What did the Lord teach us throughout it? How did we grow closer to Him? How did we allow the "pouring" of trials in our lives to bring glory to His kingdom?

And during the storm: Do we make the most of it? Do we remain joyful when it pours?

The Bible says,

"Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is as sure as the dawn, he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:3)
"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." (Psalm 94:19)
"We rejoice in our sufferings..." (Romans 5:3)
"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting." (Job 8:21)
"You turned my wailing into dancing." (Psalm 30:11)

It might be raining in your life. It very well might be pouring. Don't sit inside and mope. Run as fast as you can outside and into the rain... and dance.