Rain, Rain, go away and other thoughts

Some day we might move to Portland, Oregon where it rains a lot. But we are currently living in Southern California, where it hardly ever rains. Wait a minute, where am I?

Don’t get me wrong. I love the rain, mostly. But right now I have two good reasons for not enjoying it. First reason:  My roof leaks, even though we just had it fixed. Well, we thought we just had it fixed.  I don’t know what the next step should be. Bring the same guy back who didn’t fix it and have him try again? Or hire someone new who will probably charge more?

Second reason: Although we probably have the best arena within a ten mile radius when it comes to drainage, the longer it rains, the sloppier it gets. And then there are the turnouts (3). They can remain unusable for days. If the footing at the barn isn’t good, we can’t even walk our horses. Although I have a slight advantage here. My horse is in a box stall at the top of a hill. The area in front of her stall is covered and therefore dry. There are four stalls in a row. I can do “laps” with her, back and forth in front of the four stalls and if it isn’t raining, we can go beyond her stall to the cross-ties and even as far as the wash stand (all uncovered). We generally do 25 laps. She’s a very good girl when we do this although she gets bored (so do I). At least it gets her out and moving. It’s not good for horses to stay stall bound for too long. I never leave her in her stall longer than one day.

Those are the issues I face today, vis a vis the rain. There are more serious matters at hand but I am trying not to be consumed by them. What do you do when things are bothering you? When they occupy your mind more than anything else? When you have to fight off the negative imaginings that flood your brain? My father used to tell me your worst fears never happen. I suppose for the most part that’s true. But what if? How do you cope with pressing concerns, fear of the unknown or life’s proverbial twists and turns?

I used to worry about it until it got better or at least got resolved. I lost sleep and remained unfocused during conversations with friends and family. To what end? Did it alter the outcome? No. Did it hurt me more than help me? Yes!

Now that I am a Christian, I know what I should do. Give it to God. Why is that so difficult? Because, if you are like me, you feel the very deep need to control the situation, to find the answers, to “fix” whatever it is you think needs fixing, even if “whatever it is” is a person. We can’t control others. It never works. I’ve tried. I can only control me, and sometimes my horse.

The simple answer is to give all my worries to God. To realize that He is in charge, not me. That things will turn out the way they will turn out. My power lives in how I deal with the outcome.

Trust God to get you though the tough times, especially if the tough times involve worrying about someone else. Remember that what looks like a bad situation often turns out to be for the best. Everything happens for a reason and we aren’t privy to the reason in the beginning. Have faith. Pray and believe – my new mantra. God bless.

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