Rain Reflections
It is raining, it is pouring…. Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! The childhood nursery rhymes come to mind this morning as another heavy downpour thunders upon the roof. It occurred to me this morning that depending on our life experiences the sound of rain can evoke different emotions and responses. After a long spell of hot dry weather, the sound of rain can be exhilarating and so welcome. Rain after a period of drought can inspire people to dance in the street at the joy of it. The sound of rain usually brings thankfulness for filling up people’s water tanks, watering the garden, filling the water tables and helping the waterways.
However, anyone who has experienced extremes of rain, too much of a good thing, causing flooding, loss and devastation, the sound of rain can be terrifying.
There are two sides to a coin and so it is with pretty much everything we experience in life. So many things are good, even great for us, but when we have too much, it no longer is good. “Everything in moderation” as the saying goes.
A young teaching colleague years ago who was heading away on a girl’s weekend with her sister and friends had decided to take all the things they loved to eat and drink and there were no limits. A weekend of indulgence! She returned to school after the weekend saying that they ate so many chocolate biscuits they felt ill most of the weekend.
This got me thinking about what things can we indulge in that we can never overdue? Fresh air? Even too much of that on a blistering cold southerly could prove problematic. Reading, writing, gardening, crafting, painting, cooking, exercise, time with friends and family, holidaying. All wonderful ways to enjoy life, but as each one came to mind, if overindulgence sets in, can turn from being joyful and fulfilling to impacting every other area of our lives. Even drinking too much water dilutes the good vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function well.
Just like the rain, even though it can have seasons where it seems to go on for ages, we know the season does end and the benefit of that rain becomes so evident. Our bursts of creativity or work energy are necessary when we are on a roll, need to get something done by a deadline, or are aiming to reach a goal, can be motivating and inspiring. A sense of achievement and fulfillment at a job well done, floods us with a sense of well-being.
However, we all know the feeling of over doing it! How many injuries are caused when we overdo it? Or even mental and emotional injuries from overdoing it? How do we get the balance right? What needs to be reviewed or tweaked, changes made, to experience the joy of life in what we do?
Being kind to ourselves and each other seems to me to be one, if not the only answer. If we have a deadline that must be met, can we balance that with something to remove? Look at blocking in times for a moment to turn our face to the sun and just breathe. What can we take off our day to help us through? Who or how can we ask for help?
“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 Not just with each other, but with ourselves.
