My New Mantra

We all need something to hold onto when the storm clouds roll in. Let’s be real: Life can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be unbearable. Too many of us are walking around dripping wet in yesterday’s rain.

In an effort to maintain a positive outlook on life, I’ve come up with a new take on an old saying. It’s becoming my mantra because it helps me regain focus during the storms that threaten my sunny days. Here it is:

When it rains, it pours….so I’ll just open my umbrella.

Sure, I could nix the umbrella and dance in the rain like many naïve well-wishers have advised. I’ve actually tried that but I’m always left with a wet head and freezing toes. A girl could catch a cold!

And I don’t want any evidence of the rain on me. Dancing wild under the torrents only leaves me with clothes that stick to my skin and weigh me down. Then, after painstakingly removing the wet layers, I have to wash and dry them so they don’t stink like mildew. That just seems like unnecessary work to me.

Shoot, I’d probably never even wear that outfit ever again. It would just remind me of the day I was miserably caught out in the rain. And who wants to be reminded of the downpour?

The thing about an umbrella is, you can be out in the elements without getting completely drenched. It gives you a firm grip on the soggy situation. It provides you with a covering yet still grants you the freedom you long for as you navigate how to get from Point A to Point B in the inclement weather. The key is simple: You just gotta keep holding on to that umbrella.

I love what the Bible has to say on the subject of unexpected rainstorms:

“…his glorious presence, his immense, protective presence” is a “…shelter from the driving rain.” – Isaiah 4:6 (msg)

 The presence of God is what we need. The days when we can’t see beyond the tip of our nose because of the driving rain in front of our face are the days when we must cling to the protection that He offers us in His presence.

Having an umbrella when the sky drops out is the only thing that will keep us from being washed away in the flood that uncertainty, bad news, fearful situations, and unwanted interruptions inevitably bring. It is true that sometimes the rain seems like it will never stop. One storm after another can threaten anyone’s idea of happiness. But I’m not going to settle for conditional happiness. I want the lasting joy that comes from spending time in God’s presence. Without this joy, we are stuck out in the hazardous conditions just waiting for lightning to strike.

We don’t have to live that way. I won’t live that way. I am not going to stand by and wait for the grey skies to appear over my head. I will hang onto every single promise that God has given me and spend as much time with Him as I can. I’m going to smile as I remember how He’s covered me in the past.

I’m going to open my umbrella.

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