My deepest thanks to Jill of all Trades for inspiration of this hub. You are an awesome photographer and a beautiful person.  Thanks to you and my friend Frank this hub is surround by the beauty of which I write.  Thanks Jill and Frank for your beautiful photos.

When I was a little girl I loved the rain. I would sit out on the porch every time the rain started to fall because I enjoyed watching all of nature responding to those beautiful droplets. Sometimes I would get so excited that would run out into the yard and spin wildly around in circles with my tongue sticking out, trying to capture every rain drop that I possibly could. The raindrop always intrigued me. My world could be reflected in that small space and look like a tiny kingdom; and if I looked long enough I could almost see the King – sitting on his throne inside of that micro environment of imagination.

I was always amazed at the colors in each tiny little raindrop. The colors of the world around me reflected a chaotic beauty. In those early years, I couldn’t have articulated this thought of chaotic beauty, but it was exactly that. With my child-like philosophy I simply reveled in the movement of color and the changes it made not only to the world around me, but also to the way in which I perceived life. I basked in each individual color, but I loved the frenzied color the best. I think because it moved me to create; and I was made to be creative.

I was the kind of kid that had so much going on inside and very few venues to let loose of those things. I didn’t like for things to stay the same for very long; in a crazy way change brought hope. So, I reasoned, if I could stir up my world then nothing would stay the same; to me, the opulent merry-go-round of events seemed rich and abundantly full of life. There were times that it wasn’t enough to look inside of the droplet to discover the excitement of the rain. It was as though I needed the colors to be shook up so that I could get a better feel for them, or perhaps a better sense of how well they captivated the moment of turbulence. So I would stand out in that rain with my eyes focused on the things that were colorful and just dance, turning and spinning and watching those colors beginning to blend and mesh and move and change.

I didn’t like the rain when there was no grass to catch the pools of water that gathered at my door. The grass made the puddles fun, but without the lush stalks of green I’d get stuck in the muddy depths and the tradition of spinning wildly around was not fun at all. I didn’t like the rain when it made the world fade and brought winds that pushed storms toward me and my precious colors out of view. I didn’t like the rains that brought ominous reports of a threatening tempest of destruction, and I didn’t like rain when it clouded my vision and made the world around me hard to see.

More than forty years later, I still, at times, find myself running out into the rain to spin wildly around in anticipation of a new venue that I can find to let go of all the things that are inside of me. I still love to watch closely as the droplets of water fall gently off of the leaf and in a flurry of dramatic liberation take shape in a puddle to create newness in the world. And I realize that rain, through the eyes of the ages has created a beautiful picture of me.

The association for me is profound. The rain is simply life. Sometimes it is gentle and inviting and I find I can easily be who I am and move forward with grace accordingly. Sometimes life is without color and I have to wade through the muck to get where I am going so I can see beauty anew. And at times life brings an ominous report that clouds my vision and makes it hard to see. But I can always press on and know that the color will come again. I can know that after all these years, some spent frolicking in the grassy puddles and some spent stepping through the muck of life, I can still dance and stir up some color. And I know that through every kind of rain there is in life, that if I look, I can always see light on the horizon. For God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). And If I move toward the Light of Christ I will be moving rightly and will accomplish His perfect will with all of the ability and creativeness He has given me to use. “For I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13

So, if you see me out in the rain looking at the droplets of water, come join me and I will show you some color. If you see me struggling in the muck, come along side of me and help me through it. And if you see me dancing; look out, change is on the horizon and the colors are spinning wildly around.