Learn to Dance in the Rain

Someone really smart said “Life is not about waiting for storms to pass..it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

 

I have so many precious “IT HAPPENED IN The Rain” memories.

It was storming the first time an “I love you” escaped my lips to touch Wayne’s ears. After running through the drenching, cold rain from the pizza place across the parking lot without an umbrella, we scooted into the warmth of his little MGA, without thinking, I whispered it. I was so embarrassed. Wayne was thrilled. He’d being saying it for a long time, but I was too shy. (Those that know me are laughing right now! Don’t laugh, I really do have a shy side.)

 

Or after we were married, we were at Disney World when the bottom fell out of the sky just as we had to leave!  It was a torrential rain storm, but no lightning, so we ran to our car. We were drenched all the way to our skin. Water sloshed in our tennis shoes as we ran. We laughed as we ran, like two little kids. Just as we got to the car, Wayne grabbed my arm, when I turned toward him, he enveloped me in his arms and gave me a memorable kiss. Wow! I wish it would rain right now!

 

And then I think about the time we thought we could beat the rain. We try to walk four miles a day and we walk pretty fast, so in spite of impending bad weather we decided to try to beat the storm. And we almost made it back home when huge drops began to pound us, so we ran the rest of the way home. We were laughing so hard we could hardly run! Precious memories that a sunny day could never produce.

 

It may sound crazy, but I even have wonderful memories from hurricanes. My family didn’t do much of anything together, but during a hurricane, we sat together huddled in the den watching the latest update on the velocity and location of the hurricane. There was a closeness and love in that room that I didn’t feel any other time.

 

“Life is not about waiting for storms to pass..it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

 

I’ve heard insane stories of people that do stupid things outside in the middle of really bad storms. I don’t think this author was admonishing stupidity by saying “learn to dance in the rain.” Instead, this idiom is a call to change our attitude and response to life’s storms.

 

Storms are going to come.

It’s a part of life, we can cower with fear, swell with anger or cover ourselves with the blanket of depression or we can dance. I’ve done my fair share of cowering, covering and swelling, but I am committed to do more dancing!

 

The writer in  Psalm 149:3 NIV “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.” encourages us to praise God by dancing.

 

And absolutely, we need to praise in spite of the circumstances, that’s part of how we get through difficult times. Still I think there’s more to this whole dancing mindset that can help us navigate through a storm without being destroyed.

 

Look at Paul in Acts 27. This is a powerful story of going through a storm and the enduring faith that took not only him, but the others with him to safety. Especially pay attention to the following verses 23 “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am , and whom I serve , 24 Saying , Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo , God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs,be of good cheer : for I believe God, that it shall be even * as it was told me.”

 

This terrible storm could have shipwrecked his faith, but it didn’t.

These are some truths that I gleaned from Paul’s Faith Adventure:

D –       do the practical things that need to be done

A –       ask God for help- wisdom, strength, hope

N –       No fear- banish it, refuse to pet it. Shut the door.

C –       Cheer up.  Paul could cheer up because of what he knew- God, whose I am, and whom I serve

E –        engross your mind and emotional energy in the promises of God.

 

I used the word engross deliberately and strategically. Engross means to engage fully. Some synonyms include: soak up; immerse, occupy, concentrate, focus, rivet. Rivet your thoughts, your words and choices to the boundaries and influence of God’s Word.

 

When you are in a storm, you don’t do life as usual. The extraneous stops and the essential is the focus. As believers we must realize that fueling our faith is an essential, if we are going to experience the peace and victory that we want during the storm. The same kind of faith that Paul possessed, that took him through the storm and to victory is available to you, because it was Jesus that took him through the storm and not his personal strength.

 

If you’re going through a storm right now I want to pray for you. Will you join me?

“Father, I pray for my friend that is going through a storm. Give them peace. I thank you that no weapon that is formed against them will prosper. Instead I pray that your Word, that Truth would prosper in their hearts and produce life giving results. Make a way where there is no way. Lord, help my friend to walk through this storm with peace and joy in believing. I pray that they will know you like they’ve never known you and experience a new level of victory that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Thank you, Father, for giving my friend the faith to dance in the storm.

 

Check out this little boy’s response to losing in a playoff. Great video