Storms, Rainbows, and Flowers

I hope you'll forgive me the coarseness of this post. My musings are very crude, and I doubt I'll be able to express this well, but I feel impressed to publish this, even in its unpolished form. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about life's storms. We all have them. While sitting in the middle of the downpour with the lashing of the figurative wind in our faces, we may often wonder, "Why?"

Fair question, right? Isn't easier to bear something if you know the purpose behind it?

The other day, my B, after giving some flowers their drink, said contentedly, "There, Mommy. Now they are happy."

This perfect little moment, in my opinion, this is the answer to the "why."

Granted, being buffeted by our storms of life is not fun. But it is essential in order to reach that state of "happy." Sometimes there is no other way to get that life-giving "rain" we need in our lives. Sometimes there is no other way to strengthen our roots, to build up our character, to make us stronger vessels. These life storms, like the real days and days of rain we experience this time of year, help us, like all the breathtaking flowers bursting from the ground following all those gray and soggy days, GROW.

This is not always an easy perspective to keep. A goal I've been working toward is, when I'm stuck in the middle of the something hard, to remember that it's for my betterment and good. I work with each new storm to turn my face into the rain, not away from it, because that is the direction of heaven, and heaven is trying to teach and bless me with and through the storm.

And, it's only then, when looking up, that we see those tender mercies, or (following the storm analogy) rainbows, those awe-filled occurrences we get to help us through the storms, those beautiful reminders of good things while we are waiting for the flowers and the happy to arrive.

I've never known a person who doesn't pause, struck by the appearance of a rainbow. There is a beautiful correlation between the appearance of a rainbow in a stormy sky and the tender mercies in our lives. I have never had a dark moment in my life where, if I paused to look, I couldn't find something bright and beautiful in the midst of the bleak. Like T randomly writing me a note telling me how much she loves me, or B running up and hugging me tight and giving me a kiss out of the blue. These moments bolster our souls, make us pause and be grateful, and make the dark clouds fade to the background, even if just for a moment.

I know with certainty as strong as I've ever had it the heaven is aware of us. God loves us, Christ was born, lived, suffered, and died for us. His entire recorded existence He was our champion and provider. We are not alone here. Each life is precious beyond measure, and each life is marked for happiness.

I'm working to learn to dance in my rain and delight in my rainbows a little more everyday. Because I don't know about you, but I want my "happy."