It will clear up soon.

The other day I was headed home after a conference. It looked like it was going to rain, but I was hoping to get ahead of it. A few blocks after being picked up, it started to sprinkle, but I insisted we continue on and beat it. It started coming down so hard that I was soaked and angry and finally gave in to pulling over. I couldn't stand the idea of waiting out the rain, so I walked around and tried to find a cheap rain suit. I noticed everyone else standing around just patiently waiting while I seemed to be the only one frantically trying to beat the rain. The famous "it will clear up soon" echoed through the now big group of people waiting under the tiny awnings of the local shops. I rolled my eyes. By the time I bought the suit and finally got it all on, it was only drizzling and everyone was getting ready to head back out.

The city pauses when it rains. No one tries to power through it, and no one is angry it came. They let it rain, and they wait. This simple practice of letting it rain and not rushing through it challenges me. I am so used to powering through whatever situation or circumstance, getting annoyed at the slightest inconvenience.

In the moments of rain and wait, part of our true character is exposed. The whole ride home, I thought about that brief moment. I spent it feeling irritated and fighting against what was happening. Most everyone else just took a break. Whether actual rain, seasons of life, or just ordinary annoyances that get in the way of our everyday plans, the rain will come. We have two choices: fight against it and try to beat it, or let it rain and trust that it will clear up soon.

In the big scheme of things, those five or ten minutes I spent waiting on the rain will probably not really impact my life. But I think the attitude I choose to have as I wait while it rains, over time, will eventually shape who I am. I want to remember not to tense up and get anxious when things do not go quite according to schedule. Instead, I want to remember that in just a moment, things will change, and life will keep on going.