Umbrella

A very pathetic view lines the side of Canal street today. I am not talking about road kill, although there may be a dead animal of some kind out there. I speak not of a homeless person trying to take up residence on the sidewalk either. These things, though very sad, are not what I am referring to today.

This rainy Saturday afternoon (which by the way I am loving), is what a group of sixth graders have had to absorb - in the face of a car wash. Months (or maybe weeks) ago, this outing was penciled in with the expectation of hot sun and cool suds. The kids, namely my own son - was looking forward to sporting shorts, a T-shirt and some flip-flops while scrubbing and rinsing.

But as I dressed my man child today, we chose to pile on the layers starting with jeans and a long sleeve T-Shirt, and ending with a hoodie and windbreaker. I felt like I was sending him out into a blistering storm (I guess I can overdue it sometimes). But the dark rain clouds and constant dripping had me believing that my boy would be standing out in the rain, probably all afternoon. The nurturing part of me wanted my boy kept dry.

It seemed ridiculous to drive him all the way across town, with rain in the forecast. But logic took a back seat to Matthew's enthusiasm. I saw no need to even argue with him, for who wants to break spirit like that? His whole class, working to weather the storm, side by side with courage of heart - and sponge in hand. Children on the bridge of adolescence, trying to make a difference in the big grown-up world. No rain would be stopping a force like that.

As I dropped him off this morning, I was met with a parade of excitement. These kids were not about to let a rain drop or two get them down. It took all I had in me not to drive through their car wash line, but my plan was to come back later on for my washing. A trip to Raley's and plans to put chicken on to simmer was my priority for the moment.

I literally saw shoulders slump, and sponges hit the floor, when they realized that I wasn't a customer. Instead, I would simply be dropping off another participant. Matthew flew out of the van, ready to tackle adversity along side of the rest.

These kids were on a mission. Money was being raised for outdoor ed - and rain or shine they were committed. Something struck me about their enthusiasm, and I felt inspired as I drove away.

There is so much about life that's unpredictable, namely the weather. We can plan and schedule until we are blue in the face - but unforeseen circumstances always seem to creep in. An illness will rudely invade a balanced home, the loss of a job will terrorize, or the move of a friend will break your heart. These are sometimes referred to as storms.

Whatever dark cloud looms in the distance, remember the heart of Mrs. Payne's sixth grade class. They faced the obstacle together - and through smiles and maybe some tears, the goal of raising money became secondary.

Like our walk with the Lord, everything we strive for, every great thing we try and accomplish for Him should always take a back seat to simply being with Him.

Rain or shine, relationship with God and others is the umbrella of all storms.

Relationship is God's immovable force.