The children’s’ song “Rain, Rain Go Away” is appropriate for my area of the country. Heavy and continual storms lingered for days, leaving roads closed, fields underwater, and rivers pushing over their banks. Persistent gray skies affect the temperament of everyone. There’s an attitude that sneaks in and causes us to want to hide under the covers until the storms pass. After all, who wants to face another day of running through the rain or fight yet another losing battle with a windblown umbrella? Watching the rain fly by my window makes me think it will never end. Fortunately, we all know the sun will shine again.
Similarly, when we’re in the middle of a storm in our personal lives, we can be sure the sun is going to shine on us again too. The storm will not last, so we keep looking forward. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) Unfortunately, we are all going to experience storms in our lives. Fortunately, God is our constant protection. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3) Hold tight in the storm, because God has a beautiful future planned with you in mind. “He has made everything beautiful in its time…no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Are there troubled skies around you? You can put the umbrella away, because it’s time for the sun to shine again.
On a recent trip to Maui, my friends and I decided to drive the famous Hana Highway. It’s a twisting, winding, and narrow road that crosses 46 bridges that are one lane wide. The road contains hundreds of hairpin curves. As you enter these ‘no-visibility’ bends in the road, you must blow your horn to warn oncoming traffic. There are mile-markers along the way, yet this famous highway is void of signs to alert tourists to Black Sand Beach, numerous flowing waterfalls, or bamboo hiking trails. Luckily, someone told us about buying a ‘Road to Hana Highway CD.’ This gave us an inside scoop on a perfect day: when to keep going, when to slow down, and when to stop and enjoy. Our experience that day was immeasurably better with guidance!
While vacationing in Maui, I had the opportunity to see a lot of animals in their natural environment. Most of them swam underwater but occasionally rose to the surface only to dive below again. On a snorkeling tour, we saw around 20 spinner dolphins swimming right near the boat. There was even a baby who jumped playfully out of the water! From a distance we saw a humpback whale breaching. It was amazing! While snorkeling, a green sea turtle glided right near my elbow, then swam to the surface for a breath of air. Another day, my friends and I went out paddle boarding in the crystal clear waters of the Pacific. There we were shocked to see a hammer head shark swim about 10 feet below us. I am happy to say he DID NOT swim to the surface. Looking back at the dolphins, whales, and turtles, it wasn’t surprising to see them at the top of the water. We knew that even though they swam in the deep, they would eventually rise to the surface.
Sitting in an airport in the early morning hours is a perfect place to people watch. You can see all walks of humanity, and they come with a plethora of moods and a multitude of attitudes. Watching kids is especially entertaining because they are not stressed with traveling; they are dancing in the open areas, climbing on chairs, and giggling from the sheer joy of living. The adults however, often have a harried look. I lazily watched the craziness of the airport until I was unexpectedly thrust into the fray when tornadoes derailed most of the flights to my connecting airport. What should I do? Based on what I was witnessing, I had options. I could yell, throw a tantrum, or get angry at the airline personnel. But how could that possibly help the situation? There simply HAS to be a better way.
My class walked to the library early this morning in a light rain with warm air. Since we weren’t dealing with a cold wind and pelting, unforgiving rain, it was a bit of an adventure. About an hour later, however, everything changed. The next class walked in a thick fog with significantly colder air. That walk to the library wasn’t enjoyable; we put our heads down and marched determinedly on. Thankfully, the cool and damp air was soon forgotten in the light and warmth of the library.
Burnt rolls, undercooked roast beef, and runny casserole. What do they have in common? They happened in my kitchen, when I was cooking. Although up for debate, my biggest blunder happened when I was a preteen. My family was going to be surprised with my chocolate chip cookies. I was pretty impressed with myself as I took the cookies out of the oven. Proudly I carried them into the living room to share with my brothers and they enthusiastically grabbed them. However, their groans, cries of distress, and strong words, (I am deliberately leaving those words out), caused me great confusion. Apparently, substituting salt for sugar in a recipe is a bad idea. Who would have thought a cup of salt could make such a fuss? I guess I should have been paying better attention to the details.
Recently I saw a movie that had God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as an integral part of the storyline. They each interacted with the main character, (Mackenzie), and supported him in his heartache and pain. Many scenes gripped my heart and sent my emotions on a roller coaster ride. But one scene in particular continues to visit my thoughts. Mackenzie steps out of a small boat and literally walks on the water with Jesus. Later, when he tries it again, instead of walking on the water, he sloshes through it. He looks back at Jesus in confusion. Jesus lovingly says, “This always works better when we do it together, don’t you think?” (Good point to ponder.)
Not surprisingly, we’ve had another shift in weather in northwest Ohio. We had fierce winds the other night and those winds left behind colder temperatures and an obvious chill in the air. My furnace is running constantly, trying to keep up with the sudden change. Despite the cold, when I look out my windows the sun is shining brightly. And even though there was snow on the ground this morning, I can see the tiniest buds sneaking out on the branches of the trees in my yard. Spring is on the way.
When I’m in a Zumba class, sometimes I don’t think I’ll make it all the way to the end. I’ll cruise through the warm-up, make it through 3 or 4 songs, and then somewhere in the middle I question my sanity for being there. (To be completely honest, there have been people who have questioned my sanity in other areas of my life, but that’s another story…) I know I’m not alone in my exhaustion, because I see people glancing at the clock and peeking at their watches. Just when I’m thinking of an excuse to sneak out of class, I hear my favorite words, “Last song.” It’s amazing how that changes my attitude. Instead of quitting, I finished!