I didn’t know what it was, but something just made me sad. The tears fell. I could point to a couple possible prompts for the tears, but nothing really struck me as true. Maybe it was just a variety of things I hadn’t paid attention to. Then I opened Timehop and saw what had happened years earlier, the cleansing of the rain in the park during a very difficult time.

Oh, the timing. I don’t know if the two moments of tears were related, but seeing my past post comforted me. It was an intense time. The pain, betrayal, and disrespect were intense. But so was the hope. The post didn’t take me to a dark place. It took me to a hopeful place. It reminded me of the strength of a resolute faith. I remember intense tears that day as I walked in the park. The rain came hard, as intense as those tears. But that rain truly was cleansing. It also pounded, eroded, stung, and nourished, because the pain mixed with those tears. God provided and he still does. Every single day. Every breath I take.

The rain has been pouring again recently. I find comfort in the memory of what God reminded me that day, and I take a deep breath of faith. I also think of someone who might be walking or sitting in the rain, feeling drenched by the pain. And I pray. I trust God to provide the rain and sunshine we need. We don’t always agree with him. We want what we think we need. It doesn’t make sense to us. But he infuses purposes into even the biggest mud messes of our lives. And we can find hope before the rain even stops.

Splashing in puddles can bring joy. I know sometimes I jump in with both feet.

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