It always rains at 3 o’clock!

 

Here in the UK, most schools finish between 3 and 3.30 in the afternoon. I cannot be the only parent who has noticed a very disturbing weather pattern. The sun might be poking it’s head out from behind the clouds at 2 pm when you are rushing through the last of the chores that need to be done before collecting your kids from school. You look out of the window and think that it might be nice to walk to school and combine exercise and parenting- then at least you can tick that off the list for the day! But then you notice that the closer to 3 it gets, the darker the clouds are getting. And at exactly 3 o’clock when you have to leave the house to go and stand by the school gate it begins to pour with rain! Every time! I am concerned that the weather has a behavioural problem, maybe some kind of undiagnosed personality disorder or just really doesn’t like parents!  

Rain and my curly hair are a terrible combination! Just a sniff of moisture make my hair frizz. So a daily soaking whilst doing the school run is not on my list of favourite things. An ice cold glass of wine after a long day is very much on my list of favourite things though- that kind of moisture is very much welcome.

Isn’t always the way though? We have busy lives with many responsibilities that require us to do things at set times during the day. What is happening around us doesn’t change the fact that they need to happen- snow, rain, fevers, migraines- the show must go on.

This is a reminder for myself as much as anything- God searches our hearts, he is not looking at what we present to the outside world. He wants us to be joyful and thankful in everything. I sometimes wonder why the bigger, more exciting things aren’t coming my way. Well, if I am not being amazing with the little things, I am not ready for the big things. It matters how I react when it pours on my head every day at 3. It matters how I react when the door to door sales man gets me up off the sofa to sell me double glazed windows when all my windows are obviously already double glazed!!! It matters how I react when the receptionist at the doctor’s office is rude to me because she has had people being rude to her all day. When God sees me being faithful in the small, everyday things, He might think I am ready for something bigger.

So next time you see me at the school gate and it is pouring with freezing rain- I hope you will hear me singing the words to the old favourite: I am singing in the rain! But let’s wait and see, I can’t promise anything...