Summer Rain

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid and to be soaked by a summer rain? Have you ever been riding down an old country road on a bicycle, loving the feel of a fresh summer rain hitting you in the face? As a child, there was nothing more disappointing than to awaken on a summer morning and it was storming, but if it started raining after you were outside, then that was a different story.

Very rarely, was an afternoon rain shower considered an interruption, but rather an opportunity to play in and experience the refreshing feeling that only a strong summer rain can give. Of course, to mamas’ frustration, either during or shortly after the shower there of course would be a mud puddle involved in our play as well. Even now, I remember her words, scolding us for getting our clothes so dirty.

Seems there was nothing more exciting than seeing just how much mud we could get on our little bodies. Do you not think that there is definitely something about rain and mud, which brings out the kid in all of us? Even as I entered my late teens and early twenties, some of the most exciting times were when we were riding dirt bikes, or rail buggies through the mud.

Naturally, as we become older the way we feel about the rain changes. As children, we love to be outside and get soaked to the bone, but as an adult not so much. Even now though, on many days, rain at best is an inconvenience, no matter how necessary it may be. However, something almost childlike rises up in me every time I see a summer shower. While I may not rush out into the middle of a shower to get soaked, I still love standing on the porch and watching the rainfall, or just experiencing the fragrance of a shower coming.

Many of us love the sound of rain on a tin roof, and you have to admit there is something that is comforting about it. Each drop of rain that falls on those old rooftops sounds better than any lullaby, slowly and methodically singing you to sleep with the music of nature. Have you ever just wanted to curl up with a good book while the raindrops play their melody for you to hear?

Then there is that sweet aroma that fills your nostrils after a summer storm. Many have tried to duplicate that smell, but there is nothing like that sweet bouquet that fills the air afterwards. If you are, fortunate enough to be in the country and especially in the woods, then that perfume that comes from God above is at maximum intensity. Right now, take a deep breath and remember the last time you really stopped and experienced that which only comes after a summer rain.

While life’s experiences as we grow older naturally makes us wiser, and most of us would never even think about jumping in the middle of a mud puddle now, maybe we should ask ourselves why not. Many of us are so busy with the struggles of life that we have forgotten how to have fun. Perhaps running through a pouring summer rain could rekindle some of that youthful zeal and make our hearts beat with childlike excitement again.

We all should just slow down and take in what God has created for us on this earth, including the rain that falls sometimes unexpectedly and cools the hot summer air. Therefore, the next time it comes a summer rain, take your shoes off, roll your pants up and go outside, then pause to remember just what it was like to be a kid again, and thank God for all he provides including the summer rain.

For those who are young parents, and especially those of us who are grandparents, forget about the clothes for a few minutes, they are washable, take your children and grandchildren outside and play in the rain. Show them that you are never too old to enjoy life and that God blesses the earth by pouring out the rain. We would do ourselves good to let God pour his blessings down on us as well.