Learning to Dance in the Rain

I'm going to take a little break from my writing. At the moment it is coming very slowly, but don't worry, I will get back to you with it. As for right now, I have a little something else I would like to share with you.

Have you ever asked God, "Why is this happening?" I'm sure we all have. We all question Him at one time or another. Sometimes, in fact, almost always, we won't know the answer until we come through it. But what if we walked away from God when bad things started happening. When you have cancer or you just lost your best friend. When everything caves in. Or maybe you are just going through a spiritual dry spell. Whatever it is, what would happen if you just walked away? The question, "why is this happening?" would never get answered. You would walk away from all that you ever knew with even more questions than you had before. So what do you do when everything falls apart? The easiest thing would be to walk away... or would it? You have to learn to dance in the rain, not run for shelter or sit still waiting for the storm to pass. You have to praise Him. Because, once you get through the storm you are going to know the reason why. the question of "why is this happening to me?" will finally be answered.

Somewhere Between Two Houses Part 2

I am deleting what I called the "subplot" because it didn't really flow right with the story. So here is the next part of this story minus the "subplot".

He had been really uptight lately and he got riled about the silliest things, then again, maybe it was just her. She couldn't remember why she even married him in the first place. He was good looking and, at times, could be sweet and romantic. But most of the time, he was irritated and annoyed when he came home. The worst part was; he wouldn't even talk to her about it. And Mandy, she didn't deserve to live like this, she was an innocent eight year old and she didn't need to be exposed to that. Just then, the doorbell rang. Wiping her hands on a towel, she went to open the door. “Mom, Dad! What are you doing here?”

“We came to see you,” her mom stepped through the door, followed by her dad. Giving them each a hug, she invited them into the living room.

“Sit down and I’ll get you something to drink. Coffee or tea?”

“We’ll take coffee, you know that, dear.”

“Right, I did.” Laughing nervously, she hurried into the kitchen. It had been so long since they had last been here. What would they think of her and Andrew?  Would they even notice? Hopefully, he would be on his best behavior this week…. or however long they would be here. Pushing her thoughts aside, she carried the just finished coffee and set in on the table in the living room.

Mandy stepped into the auditorium and looked around. Her mother had given her permission last night to go ahead and do the play, but still she hesitated. Dad had said he didn't want her to be in it, but her mom said it was ok. Maybe Dad changed his mind. That is probably what happened. Now that it was settled, maybe they would stop fighting. Hurrying to the teacher in the front of the room, she verified that she would be able to be the princes. After she sat down with the rest of the cast members, the practice began. She soon became the part of the princess. Putting her heart into every word, every movement, she lost herself in being someone else. She was no longer Mandy, her plain house and simple family no longer existed. Temporarily forgetting about everything else, she sang her song with everything in her, then, too soon, it was over. The princess became Mandy again and it seemed like the weight of the world was back on her shoulders. Mrs. Courtney dismissed the class and, not wanting it to end, she hesitated. Taking her time gathering up her things, she was the last one to leave. As she was walking out the door, Mrs. Courtney called her to the front. Thinking she was in trouble, Mandy hesitated. Reading her hesitation, Mrs. Courtney reassured her.

“You’re not in trouble; I just want to talk to you.” Nodding her head, Mandy set her backpack on the nearest chair and hurried to the front.

“What do you want to talk to me about?”

“Do you enjoy doing this?”

“Doing what? Acting and singing?”

“Yes.”

“Of course! I like to pretend I’m a princess and singing all by myself…” Suddenly self-conscious, she let the sentence hang. Smiling, Mrs. Courtney walked over and gently put her hand on Mandy’s shoulder.

“Don’t be embarrassed, it’s ok. How would you like singing lessons?” Mandy could contain her excitement.

“That would be great!! But I don’t know if my parents will let me.” At this thought, her smile faded. Seeing this, Mrs. Courtney thought fast.

“How about I talk to them about it? Will that work for you?”

“You would do that?”

“Of course.”

“Ok.” And that began a close friendship that would last many decades. A friendship that, even when both of their worlds were falling apart, stood strong.

Happy New Year!!

God is going to make ALL things new for you this year. This year is going to be your best year yet! Don't be discouraged because God is going to do something beyond your wildest imaginations. You just have to believe:)