Gourmet Day

Coffee's hot. It's raining. Spring's on the way, but winter's holding. I enjoy mornings like this. Know why?

I like them because they're softer than bright chirpy mornings. I like them because they're calmer and slower. Rainy cool mornings delay the day's entrance; they're like a shoulder massage or good stretch before the heavy lifting. And something else...they make the hot coffee more satisfying.

If we could just view all life's 'rainy days' with such welcome, we'd never think of a bay day, or hurt, or loss, or dissappointment as a waste. Even hurricane's have a calm at the center. If we could only find the calm in our storm, the diamonds in our coal, the roses midst our thorns, the peaks around our valleys we'd be much more grateful, more joyful, less distressed and more at peace.

But it's hard to maintain or even conjure up such a positive outlook. I know. I struggle with it too. I complain. I take it out on others. I wallow in my "poor me's". But, along the way, I've found power to over come them. Though they still rattle my cage on occasion, they don't topple me. I draw strength from knowing the truth, the facts, the future.

The truth is that my rainy day isn't eternal. My winter's cold isn't without end. My Friday's camping trip isn't ruined because my Monday is cloudy. My life isn't over because today there are problems (Yes, even if they were to be life threating ones.).

"Why not?", you ask.

Good question.

Right question.

Because I understand the truth: the rain will pass, winter will give way to spring and then summer, Friday's very likely to be different than Monday, and life isn't limited to the moment between birth and death. There are such a things as sunshine, as spring, as dry camping and as eternity.

Because I know the rain will pass, I choose not to worry about it, but find a way to enjoy the momentary change in my routine. I hug a cup of coffee. Listen to the patter on the roof (Yes, I have a metal roof on my home. It's wonderful to hear the rain against it.). Look out my window and take advantage of the time to slow down, warm up and relax. When life's a struggle, debts choke, health fails, friends forsake, love's lost it's a damp, cold day. The truth is comforting--these momentary struggles are connected to eternity. They're a shoulder massage, a stretching exercise to remind us that more is to come; not more pain, but more living, more joy, more goodness, that their are better things ahead!

Allow your struggles to slow you down, focus your priorities, open your eyes and make all that's good and stable in your life more satisfying, more appreciated, more valued. I enjoy my coffee more when it's rainy. I hold my family closer when life's tough. I appreciate my work when the bills come due. I am grateful for meds when health is poor. But when meds fail, work's inadequate, family is gone and hot coffee isn't enough to cheer my heart, I remember eternity and like watching falling rain out my window, I think of the showers of joy to come. Thank goodness the rain passes. Thank God he provides hope beyond the here and now.

I'm ready for spring. I'm ready for camping. I'm ready for today's work, I'm ready for eternity, and believe me when I say, "There is nothing so comforting as eternal security....not even hot coffee on a rainy day."




All material copyrighted by Stephen Meeks