Rain


Nashville, TN: Today on my morning walk with Frank, I was starting to get mad. Not at Frank (though he still does not understand that "let's go for a walk" is very different from "let's leave the house and you run like hell down the street, pulling me behind you like I'm your bitch"), but at God. Why would God give me both a head and a heart? I can understand the head: the logical, clear-thinking, get-down-to-business organ. And I can understand the heart: the hopeful, wide-open, free-spirited organ. But to have both? That's like mixing oil & water. How are supposed to make decisions when the head is in complete opposition from the heart?

I thought of a quote heard in my spiritual direction group from St. Teresa of Avila:
"God, if this is the way you treat your friends, it's no wonder you have so few!"
What friend would give you such opposing gifts? And not knowing what the future holds, how can I be expected to pick one to act on without for sure knowing it's the right decision in the long run? As I neared my house, I was fuming.

And then a funny thing happened (and by funny, I mean something else). It started to rain. It was first just a drop of water and in temperature, but then the heavens opened and it started to pour. Frank and I made a mad dash the 1/2 block back to the front door, but were still pretty soaked by the time we made it in. As I dried off and Frank shook off, there was a little lightbulb that went off in my head.



What if there was no rain? What if it were sunny all the time? It would warm and bright all the time and... well, it would be LA. But LA is actually best right after it rains. It lifts the smog up so you can see the Hollywood sign clearly. And it brings down the temperature considerably. And it gives all the greenery time to do its thing.


Credit: Take Sunset

But if it rained ALL the time, it would be dreary and depressing and... well, it would be Seattle. And since I've never lived there, I can't tell you about the times it's NOT rainy. Sorry.


Credit: MBody

All this to say, for the perfect atmosphere, it seems you really have to have both. The sun AND the rain. The good AND the bad. The head AND the heart. There is something spiritual about being trapped in a downpour. You can run as fast as you can and fight is as much as you want, but you WILL get wet. Guaranteed. In the same way that we really have no control over all situations in our lives. If we stop fighting ourselves so much, maybe life will lead us where it is supposed to, by God's design. And eventually, the rain will subside and give way for the sun to dry it up.

And on this rainy day, I'm trying to embrace the fact that I simply don't know which organ is best to use in all of life's situations. I give thanks to the head AND the heart, Frank, chai tea, deep breaths and the following artists, who will hopefully explain these whole rain phenomenon better than I can.