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Tuesday 27 January 2009

You Can't Have Rain Without the Mud

I attended a women's conference on Saturday - an annual event put on by our church. It starts out with a light breakfast and then we split into classes. The first class I attended was called "There is Sunshine in My Soul Today". One of the points the teacher made really touched me.

She related this experience to us. There was a lengthy drought in our area that lasted three years and of course it was affecting her family's crops and gardens. Everyone prayed and prayed for rain, but the drought continued. Finally after a region-wide fast, the heavens opened. The local reservoir filled in three days even though the experts had said it would take a few years of good rain to get it back to normal levels. This sister said it was a miracle and everyone including her was so grateful for the rain.

Then she started noticing the mud - in the yard, the driveway, on the carpets, the kitchen floor, and the kids feet. She complained about the constant mess and the constant cleaning that resulted from the mud. One day she said something about the mess to a friend and she got this response. "You prayed for the rain. You can't have the rain without the mud."

How often do we pray for specific blessings and then complain about the side-effects?

I started thinking about this again today as I listened to the wind blow - not just little breezes, but 70 mile-an-hour winds. They seem to push through the house and I have the hardest time getting warm. I took my daughter into the city today for an orthodontist appointment and on the way home I stopped at the gas station to put gas in the van. While I stood there filling the vehicle, I had to brace myself against the wind and lost my balance a time or two. And I think my legs got a good workout as I walked against the wind on my way to the school this afternoon.

The thing is, I've prayed for years that I would be able to raise my children in this wonderful community. I love living in the same town my family helped settle 110 years ago and being able to teach my kids about their heritage. But I can't have my home in this area if I don't take the wind as well.

It's something I need to think about more as I look at the blessings in my life. Even the mud and the wind have their place. Without the wind we'd never fly a kite. An when was last time you let the mud squish between your toes?

2 comments:

ali cross said...

There is a little parenting book called (I think) No Mud, No Rain ... or something like that.

It's essentially about how much fun and what memories a woman made with her daughter, dancing in the rain.

But even though they loved the rain, the mud was always a downer.

That's how life is ... you gotta take the downs with the ups, the mud with the rain.

Sounds like your women's conference was excellent Stephanie. Thanks for sharing your insight with us!

Tristi Pinkston said...

This was really thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing this!

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