Raining Inside and Out?

A gray drizzle and a gusty breeze outside remind me more of a fall day than the middle of July. I pull my blanket tighter around my shoulders, sip my tea, and enjoy the warm yellow glow of the lamps in my living room. The light notes of a classical dance soothe me as I relish the sheltering warmth of this room compared to the chilly night outside my doors.

A week ago, a similarly unseasonable day wrapped its fingers around my abode. This time, however, I sat shivering in a nylon tent, as gray inside as the rainy predawn sky. As I huddled with my family on this camping trip, my daughter announced, "It's raining in my tent!" Sure enough, the constant downpour had found a weakness in the nylon and the rain began soaking our bedding and our clothes. We packed up quickly and escaped to the drier shelter of my in-laws' house.

Tonight, as I sit in my cozy house, I ponder my outlook on life. Am I more like my house or my tent? Does the warmth of joy fill me from within, keeping the dreary rain of difficulty at bay? Or, do life's storms gray my spirit, wearing away at weaknesses until the rain falls both inside and out?

The rain will fall, even in the midst of summer. I have a choice. Will my spirit only warm on sunny days with cloudless skies? Or, will the joy I have come from within and shine brightly as a haven on a cold and stormy day?