Contentment in the Rain and Heat

The weather is absolutely perfect right now. We are in that brief window of time between needing both a heater and a humidifier and starting up our air conditioner and dehumidifier.

Most of the time I'm fairly content. A little (or a lot of) rain doesn't usually cause me much distress. But every once in awhile when the combination of heat and rain makes me feel like a wet garment being ironed as steam escapes from every pore of my body, I just don't like it. Rainy season usually begins in early- or mid-June here in Tokyo and lasts for about a month. Some years it rains pretty much all day every day. Other years we only get rain every few days but it comes in torrents. I don't know what this year will be like.

What I do know is that I've never really thought to prepare my heart for this season of the year. It just comes. Some days I complain and sometimes I don't. But this year I decided to think about rainy season and the sultry days that follow and formulate a plan. What prompted this?

We are looking forward to having a 17-year-old young lady from Texas come in a few weeks to spend a month with us to help us out. I wrote and told her about rainy season thinking it was only fair to warn her. She replied, "I'm so excited! I love rain!" Now there's a perspective to consider. Hmm...

Then I read about a missionary back a few generations who always exuded contentment. Her daughter discovered a list of this godly woman's intentions. Her first goal was to not complain about anything, ever...not even the weather. She served in a harsh African climate without the luxury of fans or air conditioning. I find her resolve amazing.

This summer with the need to cut down on electricity in Tokyo due to the nuclear reactor problem, we've been told to prepare to use air conditioners as little as possible. This will not be easy in this hot and humid metropolis where people breathing and sunshine radiating off of cement produce more heat than many man-made heaters.

We had a light rain today. It was a piece of cake. I didn't even have to try not to complain. I know there will be days it will be more of a struggle. I've never been a huge complainer, but my husband doesn't ever complain even though with his disability he has so much he COULD complain about. He lost his speech with his stroke. He worked and worked to be able to speak again but never regained his ability to complain. He makes good choices!

I'm taking the challenge. I will not complain about the weather before September 31. Right around that time the weather gets gorgeous anyway. I'm allowing myself the privilege of sharing weather reports...just no disparaging commentary.

Enjoy your weather today!...By the way. As long as I'm not complaining I do want to take the opportunity to do the opposite. After battling pain in his overused left arm for nine months, Russ is now pain free in his elbow! Thank you, Lord!