We were standing in small shop in York Beach, Maine, browsing

     when all of a sudden I heard the sound of pouring rain.

My eyes quickly darted to the open door.

Looking out I saw heavy rain falling.

As if on cue my daughters eyes met mine.

No umbrella.

No car

   and our room at the motel was blocks away.

By this time the gushing water was filling the street.

Then I heard those words.

“Just rain.” I glanced up at the man behind the counter.

He was smiling broadly

    well used to these sudden summer showers.

“Yes, just rain.”  

My girls and I chuckled as the words sank in our mind.

Where we had immediately thought of the difficulty

     his words spoke calm reason.

No need to stress.

No, it was just rain.

Those words turned around our experience.

On the count of three we ran out the store,

     Up the street

    Splashing through the deep waters

    Laughing

    Hilarious fun.

I’ll never forget it.

Sure we were wet by the time we arrived back at our room.

Soaked to the bones

    but still

     it was just rain.

It applies to much of life, doesn’t it.

People tend to react emotionally

   to sometimes exaggerate

   making something seem like a catastrophe

  when all along it is

    ‘just rain’.

Writing from his prison cell the apostle Paul wrote these words.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

A joy that sings no matter what.

Hurricanes come;

    Hurricanes go.

Elections over

  The holiday season approaching.

Let’s count if all joy, my friends.

It’s all life. No need to get upset or discouraged.

It’s just rain.

So let’s begin to sing in the rain.

Put on our raincoats

    turning a wet scene into another adventure.

Count on it

   Life will happen.

It just does

  but our choice to maintain a heart that sings

   no matter what

  will open up doors of possibility

  that we had no idea existed.