I loved when it rained in Haiti.

Not the flooding kind of rain, but the peaceful, evening kind of rain. 

The kind of rain that covered my steamy, oven-like house with grey, puffy clouds, shielding us from the hot Caribbean sun.

The kind of rain that brought my children inside, put all the moto taxies at ease, and created a quiet in the streets.

The kind of rain that made me grab a blanket, brew a cup of coffee, and just relax.

For a long time, however, I feared the rain, always terrified it would turn into a storm. But eventually, I learned to embrace it. Again, not the flooding type, but the kind that kept me humble.

Because here’s the deal: I can’t stop the rain. It will come and go as it pleases. Trust me, my rainboots are always on standby. But, I can choose how I am going to react to it. I can try to fight it, but I am only going to end up soaking wet. I can hide from it, but that will eventually get lonely. Or, I can choose to take refuge in God’s shelter and ask Him to make the most of my time inside.

Over and over in the book of Psalms, God is referred to as our “refuge,” which I love because of the security that offers me. No matter what storm may come, I know I can take shelter in His love.

Just like a rainy day brings me inside my physical house to rest, rain in my spiritual life brings me inside God’s refuge. There I learn to rely on Him. Find peace in Him. Rest in Him. Often it rains just enough to remind me I am not in control. Just enough to ground me. Just enough to make me stronger, wiser, and better prepared for the next storm ahead.