Have You Ever Felt the Rain?

I know. This sounds like a sappy love song, but I pose the question honestly. Have you ever felt the rain?

We’ve all felt the rain. We scramble through it desperately trying to reach our next destination untouched. We curse the rain when our outdoor plans are ruined. Some of us even fear the rain. Fear that it will never stop, even though the waters continue to rise. It seems to me that we hate the rain when we are forced out into it.

But what about when we want to be in it.

Is there ever a time? Does anyone really rush out into a storm willingly? There’s a quote, I believe from Vivian Greene, that relates life to rain.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

This quote is usually coupled with a photo of a child jumping in puddles. I’m reminded of the Disney movie The Big Green. There is a scene in which rain has begun to pour down on soccer practice, but they continue to play. Even the parents get in on the action as they slip and fall into the mud. It’s an uplifting scene that signifies unity and hope for this underdog team.

I had my Big Green moment.

There were no soccer balls, I didn’t slide through mud puddles, but I did lean out into a storm willingly.

A storm gently passed over my house last night and I decided to step outside to enjoy it. It was dark enough to block out the world around me, yet light enough to see the details in the clouds as they shuffled across the sky. A rumble here and a strike of lightning there, it was a fearful and wonderful sight.

Completely exhilarating.

With my arm wrapped around my porch pole, I leaned out as far as I could and looked to the sky. The light rain pattered against my face. I could feel every single drop. Just as I became aware that one drop had hit my nose, another would hit my forehead, then my cheek and… inside my nostril.

Hey, I never said it was all glamorous.

I breathed in the damp air and closed my eyes. I was instantly transported to a place of peace and love. It was home. Every sensation I was feeling was a feeling of home. I never realized how much rain makes me think of home, but I suddenly felt like I was back on the porch of the house I grew up in. I could hear the wind dancing through the trees, the familiar sound of drops hitting the old rusty pots and pans I always put out to catch rainwater for my “experiments.” I could smell the wet oaks and the soggy earth.

Coming back to reality, I felt like a new person.

Home has a way of centering us and I believe the rain has a way of making us feel new. It was almost as if God was washing away my filth. I’ve struggled lately with feeling like I’m not doing enough for God. I believe the rain was God saying, “You’ve always been enough. Now stop covering yourself with mud and beating yourself up because you feel unworthy.”

It was one of the most powerful moments I’ve experienced.

Maybe standing in the rain isn’t for you, but I would encourage you to slow down. To stop what you’re doing, turn off your phone, and sit in the silence. Observe. Listen. Breathe. Take in every sensory detail that you can. And even if it feels uncomfortable, push yourself to do it. Be in the moment.

You may just find that you never want it to end.