Enjoying the Rain

Life has been extremely hectic and tough around here lately. My daughter, Opal, was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum six months ago, so we have been in and out of doctors’ offices, therapies, doing multiple evaluations for said therapies, and then our youngest, Lucy, has started needing physical therapy. That’s four different therapies, 5 times a week, totaling to about 32 1/2 hours.

Just when I thought we were getting the hang of all the things, life throws more lemons, and this time, they were EXTREMELY sour. I lost my baby sister, only 20 years old. She fought hard for two weeks, but passed away peacefully while my mother and her husband, and my other sister and I held her hand, letting her know it was okay to let go. She is no longer in pain, but in perfect peace, worshiping our Savior. And I have no doubt she’s eating endless amounts of the Chick Fil A buffet up there. It was her favorite, and I have no doubt that there’s an endless supply in Heaven.

My sister passed away less than a week ago. I know it will take a while to feel okay and to be okay, but right now, it just stings. Sometimes when it rains, it pours.

And speaking of raining, Opal, our three year old daughter, kept asking to go outside. She is nonverbal so her way of asking was walking to the door and looking at it, and then trying to open it with the door knob, and then knocking. We had JUST been outside on the trampoline and it was hot and muggy. She wanted to go back out, but we kept telling her it was too hot. But then we heard something. It started POURING.

Opal LOVES water, but we had never let her play in the rain before. So, my husband and I looked at each other, smiled, and opened the door, letting her freely run into our backyard. She ran straight into the rain, almost as if she had done it plenty of times before. She was smiling from ear to ear and she was laughing until her belly hurt. She was acting as if rain was a song she knew how to sing. She was drenched and absolutely ecstatic about it.

My husband joined her shortly and they started jumping on the soaking wet trampoline in their soaking wet clothes with their soaking wet smiles. They had a blast. But, then we heard thunder, so Daddy grabbed her and they ran in.

I can’t tell you how many times I have moped and cried and complained and even yelled at God in the rain. Hoping, praying, and just wishing it would go away, but taking everyone down with me in its path. But you know what Opal taught me today? It was POURING, but she didn’t think once about running straight into the rain.

It didn’t keep her from smiling, or laughing, or having fun. In fact, in the midst of the rain, she was doing all of those things. She was even having fun BECAUSE of the rain.

Life is life. And honestly, it just sucks sometimes. That’s the truth. But what if, instead of moping or getting angry in the midst of the rain, annoyed we’re getting wetter, we instead found the joy in the rain? What if, despite our circumstances, we decided to rise above them and laugh, dance, and sing?

Rain doesn’t last forever, and sometimes it’s a torrential downpour, lasting what seems like forever! Causing floods and all kinds of other havoc. But rain also re-hydrates plants, animals, and all living things, and restores fresh water so we can survive! It brings it’s own kind of beauty that we would have never discovered if it had never rained!

Yes, you can look and wish and pray for a rainbow. We need rainbows! But, until you get your rainbow, don’t forget to enjoy the rain, even in the midst of a storm.