After an amazing family reunion vacation in the mountains of California, we landed in Baltimore – in the rain. And it felt exactly right.
We spent an extended time in the 100+ degree desert of Reno, NV on our way to the pine forest mountains around Lake Tahoe, CA. We experienced the beauty of families reunited, surrounded by Sugar Pines, wildflowers and Aspen trees at 8,000 feet.
How appropriate that we returned to our green East coat, sea level HOME, in the rain. The rain that we Mid-Atlantic East-Coasters know so well. The rain that brings us every shade of green and a zillion opportunities to mow our grass in the Spring! The rain that brings health and life to our gardens and flowers and soil… And rain that gets on our nerves when it falls for days on end – or “spoils” our outdoor events.
We will get a few inches of rain in a single storm while our families in the West receive only a few inches of rain in a year. Smoke from a wildfire burning hundreds of miles away created a haze over our reunion site. The dust from the mountain earth covered every exposed part of me during our hikes.
There is opportunity to sing praises and offer thanks in everything – and in every situation we experience. God promises that He is with us.
In a downpour or a drought, God IS there. Ask Him to reveal His love and comfort where ever you find yourself today. Lean hard on Him when your life situations are hard. Experience joy with Him when the clouds lift and the glimmers of light shine through the storms.
Most of all, more than anything, He desires to “do life” WITH you. Invite Him in. And allow His blessings to change your view.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5
