I had no idea we were expecting rain. I saw the clouds and knew we were in for a long afternoon. Friends were coming over to help us finish putting a large beam up on our front porch and I just knew the rain was going to put a damper on finishing the project. We repositioned ladders and machinery and soon had a workspace that was mostly out of the rain. Maybe we could salvage the time after all.

            Every now and again I had to venture out through the rain and move the forklift or carry boards, but overall, I was able to stay dry and out of the weather. The rain picked up as we were getting close to the end of the project. I hopped off the porch and into the forklift. The machine shifted and water started running down my right side. It was so cold. Somehow, I managed to hug up against the left side of the machine where only my sleeve was still getting wet.

            As soon as my job was done, I scurried back on to the porch and helped support a long piece of wood. Just as I leaned over, what felt like a bucket filled with ice water ran down the leg of my pants. I could literally wring my pants out they were holding so much water. No matter how hard I had tried all afternoon to stay dry, I somehow managed to not only get wet, but completely soaked.

            Sometimes as we are going about our normal lives, the clouds start moving in. We have no idea that rain is on the horizon, but suddenly, it’s pouring. We still have projects to do. We still have work to get done. We can’t simply put life on hold for a little rain. So, we put on our rain gear, find the umbrellas, and suit up in ponchos, trying our best to stay dry and avoid the effects of the less than ideal weather. But often, no matter how hard we try to avoid the rain, we still end up getting wet.

            Life’s rainstorms are going to come. And sometimes they catch us completely by surprise. They never show up at ideal times and they definitely don’t leave us feeling like ideal people. Often we end getting completely soaked and all we can do is let it pour as we keep working through the rain.

            But, no matter what, we keep working through the rain. We don’t stop. We learn how to find overhangs and awnings that will shelter us from the drops. We learn to keep moving even when we have heavy, sagging clothes that keep us weighed down. We learn to trudge forward even when we are soaked. And we don’t stop working through the rain.

So, don’t let the rainstorms hold you back. Don’t stop moving forward just because of a little rain. Keep your poncho on and your boots at the ready. And keep working through the rain.