Rainy Days

We've had a string of rainy days. The kind I like, a few hours of rain and sunny the rest of the day. I love the fragrance of rain, so fresh, so life-filled, and cool. The trees and bushes are happy today as they stretch their branches to gratefully accept this plentiful gift.

Earlier this summer I got caught in an all-day rain storm. Not the kind I like. I was on an outing and didn't have much choice about getting in and out of the rain. The rain was falling from buckets it seemed and there weren't many breaks to take advantage of. So I braced myself and used my little umbrella to keep the rain out of my eyes and trudged through the puddles and waterways. My jeans were soon soaked and my sandal-footed feet grew wrinkly. Before long it didn't matter that it was raining; I was already wet. Though it was less than comfortable I wasn't in pain or too cold.

Sometimes it is okay to be uncomfortable. It stretches us and makes us grow when we try new situations. We learn new things and have valuable experiences. After walking through the downpours it didn't seem like a problem to walk through a little rain shower.  I was acclimated to my surroundings.

Life offers us many challenges similar to rainy days. I could have chosen to stay in the car and miss all the sights and fun that happened on that downpour day.  I could stay inside and not risk getting my hair wet. But I think God wants us to enjoy His rain sometimes. He promised us He would never flood the whole earth again and we have the rainbow as a covenant.

"And God said, This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember" (Genesis 9:12-16 NIV).

The raindrops are bigger and falling faster now as I write this, but I'm confident that God will bring us a rainbow again to enjoy. I'm not afraid of getting wet anymore. God will see me through, whatever the challenge.