I was scheduled to run a 10K race in North Carolina this morning, but the event was unexpectedly rained out. I say "unexpectedly" because the forecast did not call for rain before this evening, and then only a brief thunderstorm. At Bojangles this morning I heard a lot of griping about the rain, about how this or that event was being canceled or how plans to mow today got derailed. (You hear a LOT of griping and gossip at Bo's. Don't old people have anything better to do?) And that got me to thinking about a conversation I had with the kids the other day. On Thursday they finished baling their first cutting of hay for the year. They remarked to me that the fields were beginning to look pretty dry and how grateful they would be if the Lord sent some rain our way. And that's exactly what he did. It wasn't a quick thunderstorm. Instead, it showered and showered all last night and into the morning -- a quiet, steady stream of rain, a soaking kind of rain, what we call around here a "farmer's rain." It's just what the farm needed.
I know I say this all the time, but I believe that gratitude is the only emotion that can change your attitude and perspective in a heartbeat. Thankfulness is the key to happiness. In fact, the true measure of a person's character is seen when things aren't going the way they want them to go. Focusing on what you have rather than on what you don't have is one way of learning how to appreciate life and the people in it.
We value what we notice. Try to notice the little things every day. Make it a point to be the most grateful person you can be. Rain on a Saturday isn't always a bad thing. For farmers, it may be just what they needed. I do an inventory every morning of what I want to be thankful for before I even get out of bed, including such simple things as the breath that fills my lungs. Let's make being grateful a part of our day just like eating and brushing our teeth are.
My life is far from perfect, but there a million things I'm thankful for. Rain is a reminder for me to give thanks. It's a reminder of something I should do all day, every day.