Stand in the Rain

A solitary rain drop hits my windshield and I assume it’s going to pour. I peer out at the sky, searching for dark foreboding clouds. I listen for tale telling thunder. Another drop falls and I’m convinced high winds are eminent. I speed home to beat the storm.
I rush inside, expecting the earth to erupt on cue. I check the flashlights for batteries and I wait; but the storm never comes. The light rain fades. The sun peeks out through the clouds. Children ride their bikes in the street. Standing at my window, I feel strangely cheated. I rearranged my day for nothing.
If we’re not careful, we can spend our lives preparing for the storm. Its common knowledge, no one goes through life smooth sailing. Rough waters come and go. So, we prepare for disaster. We spend sleepless nights trying to outsmart the unknown. We plan what we should or would do if…(insert your fear here).
I don’t know why bad things happen to good people. I don’t know why the ocean meets the sky to form hurricanes. I do know it’s impossible to predict the weather, just count how many times the smiling meteorologists are dead wrong.
We aren’t meant to know the outcome of every situation. We are meant to trust God and follow his path. We aren't meant to live life afraid and preoccupied by what might be. We are meant to shine and take each moment as it comes.
Personally, I’ve held back when I should have jumped in with both feet. I’ve hid behind the curtains, when I should have stood proud in the spotlight. One two many times, I’ve let fear send me racing home to safety. I've trembled at the sight of a rain drop, without ever even facing the storm.
On its own, fear is powerless. We give it power when we let worry consume our thoughts, when we hit a bump in the road and give up. Fear has no real place in our hearts. If we rest in God’s love, we are safe, now and always, through every battle.
I hate to drive in the rain, but I'm learning to walk out my front door, get in the car and forge ahead, even when the sky is rumbling.