Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Remember who made you.

Remember next time you want to complain about the rain to be thankful for having a car, a driver's license or someone to get you around town. Today I had a wonderful day at school, Nathan dropped me off around 7:50 at SCC and I was there until around 1:15. It happened to be someone's birthday today so he was giving out banana nut muffins that a teacher made for him. He must be a star student or something. I don't know. I happened to be starving as I had forgotten my granola bar I put out on the counter at home. I take this as a great blessing to prepare me for my journey home. I was weak before getting that muffin and knew that I would have a ways to go before getting home. It takes me over an hour from the time I get out of my last class to the time I can set foot at home where all my earthly comforts are.
I trudged out of the building into a pouring rain, unprepared. I happened to forget my umbrella even with the knowledge of rain in the forecast for the day. Nice one, Dorry! Well I walked to the library to wait for the bus, wishing and praying I would happen to run into someone I knew. That didn't happen and it is probably best it didn't. I have been exposed to the swine flu, though I am not sick and won't know until it happens.
The bus showed up, I got on board. The ride took 45 minutes of torture and time. I do not like the bus. It smells awful. I finally got off at the stop at main street and walked from downtown to home in the pouring rain. It didn't let up at all. Being a mountain town in a valley, pools of water gather by the sides of the streets in every direction and down every street. There is no avoiding them.
I found myself heading in the direction of home, water soaking me in an instant and my feet buried in these pools and streams of water. My shoes are mostly material and completely porous. My socks, after two minutes of walking under the weather, were soaked. My feet grew numb pretty fast. By the time I got home, water was dripping off my hair, the tip of my nose, and was beaded up on my eyelashes. I secretly thanked God I do not have to depend on glasses in order to walk as that would have been a pain to have water streaking down the lenses. If it were summer time I would have welcomed this walk in the rain. It was cold today. The rain felt numbing, and there was no avoiding it. It felt like forever before I finally arrived home, soaked to the bone and shivering.
One day I will own a light rain jacket and one day I know I will be a driver, but it seems when events like this happen to me, things could not get any better. I know we all have a hard time seeing the good in things like this especially during the moment it happens. I wanted so much to be angry at all those who drove past me at break neck speed splashing me with one of the many unavoidable puddles of water. I also wanted to be angry at those who had no sympathy while driving through the four way stop making me stand there for a long time just to find a moment to walk across the street.
I know that these trials must happen to soften me and mold me to God's will. To see His purpose. It can be hard when it happens and I always want to try putting a smile on my face when it does. But it always happens unlike how I imagined it. It is always later that I see the rainbow among the clouds. I know see why it is important that we live near downtown while I am not a driver. I have so many things nearby. I can walk to my bank, my doctor, the hospital, the store where I sell water bottle carriers, the ice cream and pottery store to visit some dear friends, and also where I can go to pay our internet bills. I have walked there to get a card last minute, a Christmas present, a book, and knitting supplies. If I had had a mile to walk home or more, it would not have been possible to get home safely on a day like today. A long walk would have been harsh and sickness would have been the result.
So please, next time you complain about the rain, remember what you have, even if it is very little. Your heart is beating and it is all because of God. Even those who hate him still have a beating heart. He still sustains them. I am alive! And all because of Him! Rain is the very least of my problems.