Sunny skies and dark clouds

            It is the rainy season here in Florida.  Every day starts out sunny, with beautiful blue skies and the stifling hot sun beating down.  Every afternoon, the dark clouds roll in.  Rumbles of thunder warn us that the downpour is coming.  Streaks of lightning flash across the sky, bright and white and scary.  Then the rain comes- quickly in sheets drenching the yard, pounding on the roof, dripping from the trees, creating puddles up and down the street.  It rains and rains for an hour, maybe more.  Then it stops.  The thunder and lightning disappear.  The sun peeks out again.  

            I have said it before, I love living in Florida.  I love our beautiful climate, our gorgeous beaches, our majestic palm trees, and mild winters.  I even love our rainy season, when we get a little shower in the middle of our steamy summer afternoons.  I love to sit with my kids in front of the window and watch the storm advance.  I love the sound of rain pattering overhead.  Nothing makes me feel cozier and safer in my own little house than the booms of thunder and zig-zags of lightning outside.

            Summertime in Florida sounds a lot like life, doesn't it?  Our life can be going along so nicely and peacefully, but then the storms of life inevitably come along- they rain on our plans and block out the bright shining sun for a time.  But the storms of life, like the storms of summer, do pass.  

In Florida- with the overwhelming heat of summer- we need our daily thunder storms.  The rain is a welcome break in the heat and a reprieve from the oppressive humidity.  In life, I guess we need our storms too- they give us perspective.  They make us grateful for the good times and remind us to turn to God for safety and comfort.