RAIN

I do not like rain.
Never have.
It seems to be an inconvenience to whatever I am trying to do.
I remember as a little girl listening to the rain and waiting for the thunder and then lightening. It scared me. Especially if it woke me from sleep. (And if it ever did, I blinked- making sure I wasn't mistaking the thunder for the rapture...if you were raised in church you know the "twinkling of an eye." I was making sure.)
Even as an adult rain makes my hair frizz, makes me nervous to drive in, and usually happens when I need to go to the grocery store. Ugh.

Physical rain is one thing but when there is "rain" in your life it is a completely different situation. Storms of life are altering. They cause your perspective to change. They humble you.

When my kids were around 3 and 18 months, I was really challenged by God to have a heart for "my home." Parenting was much more challenging and difficult than I expected it to be. I began to seek God more and His will for our family. I began to seek opportunities to grow and serve.

One day leaving school with Reese (she was around 2), it had rained and she asked if she could jump in a puddle. And I said yes. So, we found the biggest puddle we could and jumped in it. We were soaked. We laughed and found more. Another mom from the school stopped and said to me, "you are a much better mom than me." I didn't really have a response and so I just smiled. I know I am not a "better" mom. I was just trying to have a little fun with my big brown eyed girl and for that moment, it was puddle jumping. I now know it was more for me than her. From that day on, anytime it rains Reese never gets caught up with the inconvenience of rain. She looks for puddles. The bigger the better. And now, I do too.

My kids challenge me every single day. They make me laugh. They make me cry (sometimes a good cry and sometimes the ugly cry). They remind me of what is important. They encourage me to draw closer to Christ.

We literally puddle jump anytime there is a puddle  (sometimes oil gets mistaken as water but that is another post :) ).

My prayer for my life, my kid's lives, and yours is that we will continue to seek out opportunities to jump. When the rain is hard, cold, and you can barely see what is ahead you look for the puddles. Adventure awaits. This is our story of puddle jumping.