ENDLESS RAIN

I love living in the Northwest.  Having traveled around the country for several years, I came to the conclusion that you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer place to live.  Not only are we surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the country, but we have easy access to the ocean beaches, majestic mountains,  and desert vistas.  Our economy is fairly diverse, folks here tend to have a laid back attitude, there is very little racial tension, and we're close enough to the major metro areas of Seattle and San Francisco without having to live in them!  We've really got the best of all worlds.
 
    Incredibly, one of the things I actually like about living in the Northwest is our weather.  While not as pronounced as it is in some areas of the country,  we get a taste of all four seasons.  Granted, if we get snow in the Portland area more than 2-3 times a year we're surprised, but we get a full blast fall and most of the time a good dose of summer heat.  If there's one season that's a bit too long for me it's the spring. Oregon has a reputation for "rain", which is somewhat deserved,  but I usually tell folks it's not nearly as bad as they think.  However, there are times in the spring when I begin to question that myself. 
 
   Last month we set a record for rainfall. That's pretty hard to do considering how much it usually rains here in March. In fact, we had set the record by the middle of the month.....and we were just starting.  It seemed like it rained constantly over the past few weeks, dampening our spirits as much as anything else.  It was virtually endless!  Even though I actually like the rain....it was even too much for me.  A rain shower can be refreshing.....a deluge is annoying. 
 
    I'm probably the only guy you'll ever meet that didn't like the weather in San Diego when I lived there. It was 73 and sunny virtually every day of the year!  BORING!  I longed for a thundershower, a nip in the air, or a brisk breeze that made you bundle up.  Snow was unheard of, and a sprinkle brought outdoor activities to a complete halt.  A few rainy days really make you appreciate it when you get on of those "Chamber of Commerce" San Diego type days.   But a constant diet of "perfect" weather becomes routine and somewhat dull.
 
    Our lives are much more like the weather in Oregon than the weather in San Diego.  I don't know too many people who just get to cruise through life in perfect conditions most of the time. My life certainly hasn't played out that way, and I don't think I would like it if it did.  I've experienced my share of storms in the circumstances of my life. There have been times when I've needed to huddle up in the security of my home against the cold blast of a broken relationship.  A thunderstorm of an unexpected challenge or criticism has often crashed against the quiet of my routine. I've gone through many dry seasons where God seems toi be a million miles away, leaving me to navigate the heat of the moment in faith.  And I've experienced the refreshing times of new growth, new hope, and new starts that remind me so much of spring.
But the most difficult season in my life are those times when the rain just never seems to stop!  Financial pressures are added to relationship problems, which are compounded by work pressures, and made worse by physical frailities.  Just about the time I think I get one area under control, another storm of challenges comes rolling in, all but overwhelming my ability to cope. The "rains" are all a part of life.....but there are times when I've had about enough of "life" and just want to catch my breath.  Do you understand? 
 
    If I've learned anything about the Oregon rain in spring......and hopefully that's true this spring......is that it will eventually stop and summer will come.  When the rain stops and we venture to  look around we can see and enjoy the incredible blessings God has given those of us privileged to live here. You won't find greener hills, more beautiful flowers, or incredible forests than right here in the Pacific Northwest.  Butif we hadn't endured the spring rain, none of those things would seem as spectacular.   The rain may seem endless at times,  but it will stop,  and it sure is amazing to look around here when it does!
 
    Maybe that's the lesson I need to take from the "rain" in my life.  Sometimes it comes as a shower, but other times it seems like I'm living in a torrential downpour.  In either case, I can take assurance in knowing that it will eventually stop. And when it does, perhaps I should take a little more time to look around and see the wonders God has been doing all around me.  God's blessings often come on the other side of "shower".   My hope is that when I'm in a season of seemingly "endless rain" that I will remember that there is a rainbow at the end of the storm filled with the new things God has in store for me.   My prayer is that you'll find that hope in the rainy seasons of your life too.
 
Dancin' in the Puddles,