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"Dear brothers and sisters,a when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4 NLT).
After sneezing my way through mowing our pollen filled yards yesterday I was pleased to see it was raining this morning. The grass had been dry and the pollen had been high so it was nice to get some showers to give the yards a drink and my nose a break. It also brought a freshness to the air and a coolness that made the morning pleasant. There is nothing quite like a rainy day in Spring and the simple joys it brings.
As a boy I hated rainy days. They meant I was stuck in the house and couldn’t go out to play. It was only as the years passed that I realized that without rain there could be no water and without water there could be no life. Now I look at each gentle rainfall with a smile and know that God is giving this world and us the water we need to live.
Of course, we all prefer the sunshine to the rain. The sun gives us light. It energizes us. The white clouds and blue skies just naturally make us feel good. The rain on the other hand seems to depress us. The gray clouds sap our energy and we don’t want to go outside. I am not sure why this is. Maybe our Heavenly Father designed it this way so our farming and hunting ancestors would take the hint and stay safe, warm, and dry inside by the fire on rainy days. Maybe rainy days gave them a chance to rest up for the next day in the fields. Maybe rainy days made them appreciate the sunshine even more when it returned.
The truth is rain is a gift from God. Without it there could be no life. Without it there could be no growth. Without it there would be no morning coffee or afternoon tea. I think when I go out in the rain today then I will send a prayer of “Thanks” up to God, smile when it drips off my head, and perhaps even jump in a puddle or two. May you smile through all the “rain’ that falls in your own life. May you find love, joy, and growth in both the sunshine and the rain.
Joseph J. Mazzella
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