Playing In The Rain

Have you ever noticed that when it begins to rain that grown up people tend to hurry and, sometimes, even run in an attempt to stay dry? How futile is that?! And why bother anyway? It's only water and you'll dry and you won't melt. When we were kids most of us couldn't wait to put on our rubber boots and rain coat and go outside to jump in the mud puddles or turn our faces towards the sky to get our faces (the only part of us that wasn't covered up) wet. 


We loved the rain. Just because it was raining didn't mean that we couldn't play outside, it just meant that we got to do so many other things. As I said before, we could jump in puddles, we could collect worms because the worms come out when its raining and we could dig ditches between puddles to empty one into another.  We could see huge black clouds rolling across the sky bringing with them the rain.We had our science lessons right in front of our eyes when it rained.


It was great when it rained... when we were kids. But then we grew up and didn't buy rubber boots and rain coats. We stopped playing in the rain and we lost something precious. I guess I'm like Peter Pan in the fact that I don't want to grow up in some respects. I still like playing in the rain. No, I don't collect worms or jump in the mud puddles, but I still like digging ditches between puddles with my shovel. I like working in my garden when the mud is wet and easy to dig. I guess it reminds me of making mud pies and cakes when I was a child. In the early years of our marriage, before we had kids, Brad and I would always go for a long walk when it rained. We would come home soaked to the skin and laughing. I think its time we did that again. 


Life is too serious at times and we take ourselves too seriously most of the time. Its time to play in the rain, to laugh, to get soaked and to celebrate being alive! God sends us the rain and like any good gift from God we shouldn't avoid it but should use it and find joy in it. So the next time it rains get out there and jump in some puddles and laugh!


 When the Lord changed Zion’s circumstances for the better,
    it was like we had been dreaming.
² Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter;
    our tongues were filled with joyful shouts.
It was even said, at that time, among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them!”
³ Yes, the Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are overjoyed. (Psalm 1261-3)