Friday's Blessings!

It's raining here today. Most people don't consider that a blessing but I do. I enjoy the rain as long as it doesn't go on for days. I love the smell of the rain, the sound of it and if it's warm I enjoy the feel of the rain as I walk or work in it. I had the privilege of being with my husband while he was stationed on the small island of Guam, way out there in the Pacific. As with most tropical islands, it rained almost every day. Planned events were never cancelled (except for typhoons) because of rain, it might rain and it might not. I remember walking in the warm rain; it was like a warm shower. I always took an umbrella because the rain would be torrential at times. We often had beautiful rainbows after a rain; sometimes there were double rainbows. It seemed that they arched over the entire Island. I've never seen them as vivid or complete anywhere else. Rainbows remind me of God's promise; that He keeps His promise, all of them. Sometimes a God given promise is all we have to hold onto when we are going through difficult times, and we all do. A promise gives me hope that there will be an end to my troubles and that the sun will come out again.

One more thought about rain. My 86 year old mom died in January 09. The spring of 08 while I was visiting her, it was raining. As we were talking about the rain Mom mentioned that she wished she could walk in the rain one more time. At that time she was frail, on oxygen, and unsteady on her feet; I could not imagine taking her out the door, down her steps and into a slippery unknown. But I wish I had. Now when it rains I often think about her wish to walk in the rain one more time; it’s not a painful memory but a vision of my mom young and enjoying a walk in the rain. God’s promise to her of life everlasting has come and she has probably enjoyed that walk in the rain once again. What???? You never thought about rain being in Heaven?