John Sarris writes, “I return to my front porch where the air smells sweeter and the sun feels warmer than any other bend in life’s long road.” I understand this quote. My front porch is a bend in my life’s journey where I find my peaceful contemplative refuge from the world. My front porch feeds my soul, making me appreciate southern slow-paced living, giving me ample time to reflect on God’s glorious creation.

Ate my breakfast perched in the porch swing enjoying a beautiful blue sky full of changing cloudscapes, a yard teeming with purple finches. I saw a few crayon yellow sport coats on some of the finches so the American goldfinches are beginning to pass through here. The pansies are so beautiful standing straight and tall, their faces turned up to the sun waiting for the rain to fall. The sun was hot like a summer afternoon, burning my bare feet, feeding fuel to the thunderstorms headed our way tonight. Penelope is under the bed now so I know the storms are getting close to us.

I have the window near my reading chair in my bedroom cracked a couple inches. I love listening to the rain drops and the gentle rustling of the bamboo forest. So pleasant and calming, like a melodious lullaby from Mother Nature, cleansing the air and watering the earth. The bamboo will get an aerobic workout tonight, though. They’ve just started dancing as the thunder pounds out the beat. Just like we can’t stop the rain, we can’t stop the world’s turning of our life and its seasons. I think Morris West says it best, “If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.” Storms come and go but we always have the promise of the new day’s dawning sunshine and the promise of God’s rainbow after the storm. The rain might be full of secrets if we sit quietly and listen. “Nature is full of secrets, and the rain is always trying to tell you something, so listen,” Unknown. I’m definitely listening now and the rain sounds angry.

The sunset played out under a gathering of thunderstorm clouds heavily watercolored purple high on a pewter colored horizon. Mother Nature dressed the sun in a silk formal gown of pale sterling silver featuring a crystal bodice embroidered with jeweled appliqués of daffodils and dragonflies. The sun wore a tiara of sparkling yellow canary diamonds resting on the rays of her glowing head. She slipped her slender long gloved arm into the crook of Father Sky’s elbow and he escorted her down the cloud covered stage, walking in time with the steady patter of the coming rain drops. As the sun turned out the day’s light, Father Sky kissed her goodnight and went to wake the moon and stars, hanging them high in the glistening dark black velvet of the night’s wet heavens. The cloudy day ends, the rainy night begins.

Been reading in my quote book, 365 Days of Wonder, as I pondered in the swing this afternoon. Today’s quote reads, “Be the person who can smile on the worst day,” Cate. My dearest friend is like that, always finding the silver lining on a cloudy day and God’s holy light in a day’s darkness. She’s always chooses to be positive even on the “worst days.” She’s always my sunshine when my dark clouds come rolling in.

I think we get through the dreary days of winter knowing spring is coming. If we didn’t have winter we wouldn’t appreciate spring. We can relate the stages of our lives to the seasons. Different seasons of life have different responsibilities. Some seasons have storms, some have sunshine and rainbows. We leave our childhood behind in the fall and winter days of our youth and spring forward in the twilight of our adult lives into the summer of old age. No winter lasts forever. “Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer,” Anita Krizzan.

God shows us how to persevere as he puts challenges in our lives. Perseverance is doing something despite difficulty or delay. God never said life would be easy but he promises to help us through the struggles. Philippians 4:13 reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Our faith in the Lord and our prayerful requests give us strength to overcome any challenge. Joshua 1:9 reads, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

God wants us to walk down the path he’s planned. It won’t be an easy journey and we’ll have dark days that dim the sun and days that rainbows blind us. Each step we take, God will be right beside us if we put our trust in him. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Bible scripture says Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Find your path with God and walk into his heavenly kingdom.

“God’s mighty power comes when God’s people learn to walk with God.” Jack Hyles