When it rains
Have you ever watched children when it rains? They delight in playing in puddles, lifting their faces upward to allow raindrops to fall on their face. I watched a woman the other day standing in the rain looking up at the sky. Her eyes were closed and she stood transfixed in one spot for what seemed like forever. When she opened her eyes and looked around she saw many watching her and at first glance, they thought she was staring at something, but then an older woman saw something that many did not notice. The woman was crying.
This caused people to question if she were “OK”. Others just stared. But an older woman did something that the woman probably needed at that moment, she hugged her. I watched as the woman’s body tensed up and then relaxed and slumped against the older woman and she began to shudder indicating that she was crying.
I sat and wondered how she was feeling and then I instantly understood. When it rains - that has many implications about what we are dealing with in our lives. I get it, something was going on and the rain allowed her tears to be invisible while she stood there dealing with her struggle. I felt it, there have been times when I dreaded the rain. But like this woman, I found solace in it as life’s impact was too much to deal with. I felt depleted and drained, and the rain helped me to hide from the world. Because after all no one “really” wants to know what you’re going through anyway right?
Not true - many just don’t know how to handle someone’s feelings. When it rains you are being cleansed, when it rains earthly transitions take place to bring new life. But not all rains are physical - mental, emotional, and spiritual rain is just as impactful but most often debilitating.
I reflect on a song by Kirk Franklin, “Melodies from Heaven”. The premise of the song is a metaphor with symbolism about rain and reign falling down on one to be a blessing and a comfort.
Do you find comfort that way? Does it soothe you? For me it is comforting, soothing, and refreshing. And as I sat there watching the exchange between the two women I felt at peace because I could relate.
When life rains on us, we look for comfort. We look to understand the whats and whys about the situation we are in. But the beauty that we often overlook is what happens when it rains. Spiritually I feel that my creator is crying with me because my hurt is that deep.
I got out of my car and walked to where the two women stood. The younger woman acknowledged me while talking and what I gathered from her situation was this - she is a single mom and felt overwhelmed. She was tired of people telling her she was strong and things would pass. She was just over it all and needed a release, an escape, a chance to breathe without a thousand interruptions and questions. She needed peace.
I gave thought to what she shared and asked if I could speak to her and her situation - Like the rain our lives go through varying degrees and intensity levels of stress. The more severe the storm, the potential for damages. Rain can reek havoc as water has no boundaries. When it rains in our physical lives, we prepare for it with a covering - get that?
What do we cover our mental, emotional, and spiritual with when the storms become too much? Prayer? Meditation? Substances? Food?
I asked the woman if I could pray with her and she accepted. The older woman smiled and joined in with the prayer. As I prayed, it began to rain and reign on us. Two other women joined in and together we unified our voices in prayer and asked for grace and mercy to reign in our lives. When we stopped praying, the rain slowed and the sun peeked through the clouds. The older woman laughed and stated, “look at God peeking at us”. This made us all laugh and look up.
As I walked back to my vehicle, I looked up again and smiled. I was both thankful, and grateful for this encounter because it helped me as well. We don’t understand all the time what our purpose is in life, and when we get weighed down it is overwhelming and breaking. I challenge myself to be patient and kind when it rains in my life so that I don’t open the door to: depression, anxiety, frustrations, and everything this woman felt as she stood there crying.
It is easy to say - pray or talk to someone when you feel you have nowhere to turn and don’t know what to say. My advice to this woman is one that I live by - the words from Kirk Franklins song says, (“take me in your arms and hold me close, fill me with your precious Holy Ghost, reign down on me”). Know that when it RAINS - GOD REIGNS.
Be Blessed
