On Sunday night as the day was winding down, the boys were in bed and Nate was at a meeting; I had the evening to myself. It was raining outside and memories of running and playing in the rain as a child ran through my mind. I have always loved rainstorms and for some reason they have always fascinated me. Maybe it’s the smell of the rain or the sound of it hitting the roof while you are safe inside, or the beauty of the earth as the sun comes up after the storm.

I couldn’t help but contemplate life as I went outside to enjoy the rain. I thought about life like a late summer rain storm. The thunder and lightning, the on-then-off-again cloudbursts, seem to control the moment. Soon the slow uneven raindrops turn into rain-sheets swept across the sky by gusting winds.

But later, the rain will slow and gradually stop. The sun on the western horizon will shoot through a small opening in the storm clouds, and the sky will turn to a panorama of changing colors. Deep ambers, brilliant golds, cool wet blues, and translucent white will brighten the once-grey heavens.

The work and worry will pass as quickly as summer’s refreshing storms. Then autumn will arrive and memories will be sweet as they recall those cherished summer days of growing.

As I came inside soaking wet, I felt so much peace and joy about life and love for my wonderful family. When I parallel this to my day-to-day struggles, I know that the storms will come and go which helps me look beyond the present and into the future.

As I was reading today this passage caught my eye which went along with my thoughts…
Many today feel troubled and distressed; many feel that, at any moment, the ships of their lives could capsize or sink. It is to you who are looking for a safe harbor that I wish to speak today, you whose hearts are breaking, you who are worried or afraid, you who bear grief or the burdens of sin, you who feel no one is listening to your cries, you whose hearts are pleading, “Master, carest thou not that I perish?” To you I offer a few words of comfort and of counsel. Be assured that there is a safe harbor. You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you. Your Heavenly Father—who knows when even a sparrow falls—knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our own or even others’ well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and tribulations.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Finding a Safe Harbor,” Ensign, May 2000, 59