Jul 11, 2013

She Made Me Like the Rain

It was Tuesday morning and I had blocked out time in the morning for writing. I quickly took care of the tasks that ‘demanded’ my immediate attention (like emails) so that I could get to my scheduled time of writing.

Cathy when she was a young girl
And then the sky darkened and my schedule suddenly changed. I looked at the radar on my computer and it showed me that there was a heavy band of thundershowers heading my direction. I decide to shut all of the windows of the house so that I wouldn’t be distracted when the rain finally arrived.

I went back to my writing when all of a sudden the skies became as dark as midnight on a cloudy night and the winds began to howl interrupted only by the lighting that boomed its way through our neighborhood.

I decided that it was probably safer for me to not stay in my office on the third floor of our house so I shut off the window air conditioner and the computer and headed downstairs to get a better look outside.

I made a cup of tea and watched the rain through the screen door on the enclosed porch of my house; grateful that my lawn and gardens were receiving some much needed water. I was also grateful that the week before had been clear skies and hot weather as my family and I spent some much needed time at the family cabin on vacation.

The rain became (almost) as ferocious as a blizzard as the winds whirled in all directions dumping around an inch of water in about twenty minutes as it pelted ALL sides of the house (North, South, East, and West!). I was glad that I had taken the time to close all of the windows.

I looked at one of neighbor’s roofs and saw the intensity of the rain totally shoot the water past the new gutters that he had installed just the day before. I also pondered whether or not to bring in the recycling knowing that all of the newspapers were becoming statured as the tub filled up with water.

As I stood, drinking my tea and watching the winds and driving rain continue to pelt the house in all directions, I thought of Cathy. It was because of her influence on my life that I was taking time to watch the rain instead of writing. She had made me like the rain.

She is one who enjoys all of the seasons that we have in Minnesota; whether it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. She enjoys when the skies darken and bellow out rain like an angry sea, or when the snow piles up and elements the landscape are no longer visible.

Through her delight in the multiple facets of weather that we have, I learned to also stop and watch and enjoy God’s beauty on display. I have learned to rejoice in whatever weather I find in my path; whether that be in the comfort of a house, a car, or even in a kayak on the lake as white caps fill the vessel with water threatening to capsize it.

As the Scriptures say;
Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness, Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it” (Isaiah 45:8 NKJV)

Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God, Who fills the sky with clouds, preparing rain for the earth, then turning the mountains green with grass, feeding both cattle and crows.” (Psalm 147:7-9 MSG)

Seeing storms through her eyes I am learning over the years to rejoice in no matter what hits me, the 'storms' that pelt my life in so many directions and situations.

She made me like the rain and so I sat down in one of the wicker chairs on our porch and enjoyed this ‘interruption’ to my schedule as I drank my tea.
 

 
New King James Version (NKJV)  The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

 

 

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