Refreshing Rain

Recently, it's been raining frequently here in Southern California; because it's so unusual for over here I actually enjoy it. Today felt like a beautiful east coast fall day with the rain and it gave me a chance to relax and think.

Rain is beautiful - even though so many complain and it seems like an inconvenience, its pros outweigh its cons. Rain waters and refreshes the earth; it cleanses and removes grime; it brings growth.

When I complain about the rain, it's usually because I wasn't expecting and I'm not prepared for it. I may not want my hair to get wet, or catch a cold, or be cold.

One day as a teenager it started to rain profusely and I was totally unprepared - no raincoat, umbrella or boots.  It occurred to me at that very moment that I could complain and grumble or I could enjoy it.  I chose to enjoy it while walking eight city blocks from the subway to my house and I still remember the feeling of floating. I was wet, my hair was matted, but I was smiling as I walked and the rain felt absolutely refreshing. I stopped thinking about myself and I noticed others smiling along with me.

Rain is a blessing, but sometimes it doesn't seem that way. It's all in how you choose to look at it.  As the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow says, "Into each life some rain must fall." There's a benefit to the rain.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Enjoy the rain, the sun will shine again!

Is it raining where you are? How are you approaching the rain? Do you feel refreshed or aggravated after being in the rain?

Interesting Times

On Friday 3/11 Japan endured a devastating earthquake and tsunami, killing thousands. This tsunami, spawned a tsunami alert in Southern California and this is what I woke up to on Friday morning. In SoCal it turned out to be a non-event but up North there was some damage.

Ultimately, I decided to stay home since the tsunami alert affected the area where I work. I am of the mindset, better safe than sorry when it comes to natural disasters and their warnings. So I turned the TV on and was struck by the images of devastation on the screen. I was also struck by the nonchalance people exhibited on our side of the world regarding the tsunami warning - some surfed as usual and hoped nothing would happen, and some treated it as a learning activity and took themselves and their young babies out to watch a tsunami if it occurred. One individual was taking pictures when the tsunami struck up north and he was washed away. I don't know if he was ever found. This boggles the mind!

Another reflection of the times we live in is the recession. It has affected everyone in each state. This op-ed article in the LA Times talks about how the writer has become a happier person since the recession. The irony for me is that the lifestyle changes that she mentions is how I have always lived. I take nothing for granted and try to be a good steward with what I've been entrusted. Perhaps for many people, happiness depends on possessions; for me, not so much.

We are living in interesting times, indeed. Matthew 24 provides a great description of events that are likened to our times. I encourage everyone to know where they're going when they die - heaven or hell. Don't just live as if today is your last day - death is inevitable; be wise about your choices; acknowledge that there is a God; the Lord reigns.
You can have eternal life or eternal death - but either way it will be eternal.