I forced myself out of my warm bed this Saturday morning, I knew I needed the time alone to vent some of the stress from yesterday. I went through the motions of running clothes, socks, shoes, and out the door. I was greeted with cold, wet, rain.
I immediately regretted what I was about to do, but with a deep breath, I started my running watch and took off down the rocky road filled with puddles.
There's a big difference between running from the rain and running in the rain.
Some people love rain, they see it as God comforting them, God's tears poured out for them.
I don't, I dislike the rain. It makes me sad, and the grey clouds suck all the energy out of me. I've been forced to get used to this because I just described what it is like 7 out of 10 days in Ireland.
As I ran this morning I looked carefully at the effects the rain was having on the world around me. There were deep puddles filled with muddy brown water, the usually calm river I run beside was alive with angry, swirling currents, the usually crunchy leafs had gone soft and soggy.
Upset, I stopped running at one point and walked up some stairs to this tall bridge that runs over the river. This is not what I had in mind when I pictured myself running out the stressful things that have been bogging my mind recently. The rain was distracting me, bringing me down. I stopped and lifted my face up to meet the falling rain. And in that moment something inside of me let go. I gave up the tension I was feeling, let the rain wash it away. Surrender.
As I stood there I remembered some of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, it's a beautiful song that some of my friends wrote.
"The Rain" -By Last Place
God you know why my heart aches
Though I never do
God you see, my tears at night
And I'm crying to you
Though I am weak
I will seek you
I will seek you in this hour
You're all I need
I will lay my burdens down
You're all I need
I will praise you in my pain
You're all I need
I will seek you in the rain
It's getting colder and I can't swim
Though I'm trying my best to
I'm going under and it's hard to breath
But I'm clinging to you.
Though I am weak
I will seek you
I will seek you in this hour
You're all I need
I will lay my burdens down
You're all I need
I will praise you in my pain
You're all I need
I will seek you in the rain.
My face
Is soaked in complete surrender
This place
Is flooded with mercies unsaid
Your grace
Is brushing me swiftly away
Oh embrace me
Tell me it will all be okay
Someday
But as for now
I will seek you in this hour
You're all I need
I will lay my burdens down
You're all I need
I will praise you in my pain
You're all I need
I will seek you in the rain.
It's a beautiful song, listen to it here:
For the rest of my run I ran in the rain and not from it, soaked in surrender.
"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby" -Langston Hughes
No Comments Yet, Leave Yours!