In south Florida, a pop-up rain shower can happen very quickly. One minute the sky is blue with white puffy clouds, and the next minute, dark gray clouds are swirling in the sky bringing heavy rain to the earth. It can even be sunny in one part of the sky and raining where you are standing.

One day I went for a stroller walk with my granddaughter. We were a few blocks from home, singing “Jesus Loves Me” and watching the birds fly from tree to tree. When we started out, the sky was clear. But suddenly those big gray clouds swirled above our heads and I knew we’d better get home soon. A few light raindrops landed on my cheeks, then the floodgates opened and it poured. Hard. Really hard. I could hardly see where I was going and I wasn’t even sure what street I was on. I felt a panic attack coming on but knew I had to stay calm for my granddaughter. If I freaked out, she would too. If I stayed calm, she probably would too. So I started laughing. The rain was warm and other than the fact that I could not see, it was tolerable. I laughed as I pushed the stroller toward the street that I hoped would take us home. Then my granddaughter started laughing too. It took much longer to get home than I hoped it would, but we were greeted at the door with a slightly anxious mom and two big bath towels. When my daughter-in-law heard us laughing, she began to laugh too.

After I dried off and changed my soaking wet clothes, I dried my hair with a blow dryer. Then I used my curling iron to put some “life” back into my hair. As I combed and styled the curls, I couldn’t help but notice how soft and thick my hair felt. It must have been from the rain water. What a fun surprise!

You may have heard the saying: “The difference between a disaster and an adventure is your attitude.” I have to confess I have had more disasters than adventures. But that day, my attitude helped my granddaughter and me to have an adventure. I really don’t wish to have that “adventure” again. But the next time it’s raining, I might go out to wash my hair!

“Lord, please help me to have more adventures as I depend on you!”

Crystal