Dancing in the Rain

We have had several rainy, soggy days this month. And I must admit that many of those days might have been more enjoyable if I had been asleep in a warm, comfy bed. Yes, I could have appreciated the rain much better from that vantage point.

But this morning, we only had a little rain shower during the night, and the misty rain stopped way before the alarm clock sounded. When we got up, the patio and the grass beyond it were damp. So, once again, our bulldog Sister refused to go outside. She did not want to get her paws wet. Is that not crazy?

Our stubborn bulldog got her disdain for rain honestly; she inherited it from her father Samson. So anytime it rains, and we have to deal with Sister’s shenanigans, I just smile and remember.

Rainy days always bring back memories of our beloved dog Samson. He was a huge American bulldog, and (yes) he resided in the house. He was a big teddy bear who lived to be over 14 years of age. 

He loved kids, peanut butter, cats, playing catch, taking car rides, and going for swims in any available body of water.

Sam loved swimming the best of all, but he also loved playing in the sprinkler, under the water hose, at the water park’s spurting fountains, and in mud puddles. He loved water play of any kind, but he hated the rain.

It was a hoot to watch Sam try to sneak outside and potty while avoiding the raindrops. Whenever I opened the door and he realized it was raining, he looked at me like the rain was my fault entirely. He whined and cried as if he would melt if a raindrop touched him.

During one particularly long bout of rain a few years back, Sam literally got sick from refusing to go out in the rain!

I still find it so ironic that Sam hated the rain, but he loved water. Go figure! He couldn’t have one without the other.

I think Sam was kind of like us. As Christians, we love the Creator. We worship God and love Him with all our hearts, but we are not perfectly pleased with all of His creations.

In fact, some of the bumps along this journey of life just don’t make sense to us. I know sometimes I encounter people, places, and situations that make me whine and question the Creator, much like Samson questioned me when I opened the door to a rainy day.

Psalm 91 begins with the words, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Maybe our problems with the Creator (and the rainy days that we, His creations, find ourselves in) occur when we forget this truth: God covers us at all times – rain or shine. Perhaps we forget that if we just rest in Him and dwell under His wings, then we will weather all storms.

As God opens the door to a new day today with brand-new mercies, let’s try and remember Samson! In doing so, we will remember to appreciate the Creator and His creations, even amid the storms of life.

And don’t forget to praise Him in the good times as well as the tough times. Those are the exact times we really need to climb under His wings and stay there. Most of all, let’s take the time to thank God for the sunshine and the rain (in every area of life).

So, go ahead and open that door. Dance in the rain! And when the rain is over, don’t forget to stomp in a few mud puddles, too.