A Beautiful Rainy Day

What an oxymoron.  For me, most rainy days aren't beautiful.  They are gloomy, blah and often when I have bad headaches.

However, isn't it the rainy days where we find much joy? Aren't they the ones where snuggling underneath the covers feels so right? Where watching a days worth of movies is a delight? Where rest is welcomed?

Months where the sun is hard to find are often when I find myself gloomy and in bad moods.  At times, it's hard for me to find my way out of this cycle.  I'm beginning to believe negativity breeds negativity.  The more I allow myself to be in a bad mood, the more I complain, the more I'm negative, the longer the sun ain't gonna shine.  Get the picture?  Not pretty for me or those around me.

Then, something snapped and it made a big difference. Mind you, it's not a stroke a brilliance or a major epiphany.  Just a simple, plain as day thought that moved the fault line of my bad mood.  Here it is... are you ready? ->"Why should I be in a bad mood?"  Hm.  That's true.  I do have much to be thankful for.  I am blessed beyond measure.  I started naming off the many blessings God has provided and realized how I'm wasting my joy on my bad mood. Further, I'm allowing my bad mood to steal my joy.

Jim Reimann's words struck another cord: "Isn't it true that the longer we live, the shorter we realize this life really is?"*  I wonder how long I really have anyway, or how long any of my loved ones have.  Why would I not saturate every possible moment with joy, cheer versus the latter?

Granted, there are days where rain must fall.  The disagreement must occur.  The trash doesn't get taken out. I get it.  That's life.  But for me, myself and I, despite the circumstances circulating, how am I going to live each day?  What is going to counter shift negativity and grumpiness?  For me, it was getting out and smelling the roses.

You say: "What?" Yup.  I took a long walk and saw beautiful flowers and something resonated.  There are beautiful flowers all around me and I'm allowing my mood to cloud my view.  I'm allowing the grinding bits of my circumstances to cast a dark shadow over the joy of what I really have.

In addition, I realized why am I not seeking the things that do bring me joy? Why am I settling with my negativity?

Also remembering who I am in Christ was helpful.  These words from Charles Spurgeon were most enlightening:  "As we look into the future, we see death and "the body of sin... done away with" (Rom. 6:6) and the soul made perfectly complete --fit to partake in the inheritance of the saints of light.  Looking further still, the believer's enlightened eye of faith can see that gloomy stream of death's river then forded and the attainment of the heights of the hills of light where shines that glorious celestial city.  He sees himself within the pearly gates, hailed as more than a conqueror (see Rom. 8:37), crowned by Christ's own hands, embraced within the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and seated with HIm on His throne-as He said, "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Rev. 3:21).  The very thought of such a glorious future should relieve the darkness of the past and the dreary gloom of the present.  The joys of heave will more than compensate for the sorrows of earth.  Hush then! O my doubts! Hush! Death is simply a narrow stream that quickly will be crossed."*

His words remind me that gloomy days, bad moods, negativity are just temporary.  They want to be the focus, but should never be.  The things that should be of focus are: "whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable...if anything is excellent or praise worth think about such things," (Phil. 4:8 NASB).

So on this rainy day, push away the dark clouds and concentrate on the "flowers" before you.  Allow these blessings to reinvigorate your soul, add a bounce to your step and more so, draw you ever closer to our Lord.

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, "(Eph. 5:19, NASB).

©2013 Candice Irion All Rights Resevered.
*Reimann, J.  (2008) "Morning by Morning The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon" Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Interested? Find it here: Morning by Morning: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon