rain, rain, go away.

It always amazes me how much some people seem to hate rain.  I always see at least ten posts on Facebook on rainy days where people are complaining about how gross it is outside or how much they want it to be sunny.  Sure, rain can make you sleepy, and it hampers outdoor activity.  I'll give them that.  However, it also nourishes the vegetation around us-this time of year, it gives us those pretty reds when the leaves start to change colors, unlike the yellow-straight-to-brown kind we have this year.  It's a free car wash!  It gives us water to use for showers, cooking, and other everyday household needs.

Today, I've seen a few negative posts about rain on Facebook.  Really?  We're in a drought, and people are still going to complain about the rain?  Put it in perspective-it rains, and you don't have to take 3 minute military style showers.  All of life can be sunshine or rain, depending on what outlook we choose to take.  Rainy days can be a wonderful reminder to slow down, take a deep breath, and be still.  If it was sunny all the time, we'd have no green trees or beautiful plants and flowers.  We'd have no water to do basic, everyday needs.

I'm also reminded of those who use about 1/100 of what the average American uses per day in terms of water consumption.  Those who have very limited access to clean water, if any at all.  What would they think if it began to rain in the middle of a dry spell?  I'd venture to guess that it wouldn't have anything to do with the puddles they'll step in outside.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...He has made everything beautiful in its time." -Ecclesiastes 1; 11

We all will have rainy seasons in our lives, times when we feel down or face hardships.  Maybe a day, maybe a month, maybe years.  When rainy times come, remember that God has created them just as he's created the sunny days, and that each has a purpose.  I've found that the times I've learned the most are the times when I've been in the rain for longer than I've wanted, not the times when it's sunny outside and I'm laying poolside. So, enjoy the rain as much as you can today.  Dance in it.  Embrace it.  And know that God is with you through every single step, loving you and moving you forward in your journey.