A dozen of us were h
uddled beneath a tree trying to escape the soaking rain. We were waiting on the outskirts of Casco Viejo to be picked up by one of those double decker tourist buses. Taxi drivers stopped and stared in disbelief that we didn’t want their services. They don’t understand that when a Gringo pays for bus ticket, he’s going to use the bus.
I started whistling “Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head.” Then I started singing it. (I can’t believe Sue still smiles at this.) The longer we soaked, the sillier I became. I threatened to break out in a full-blown dance routine of “Singing in the Rain.” Sue reminded me that I can’t tap dance. Then I started making up new words to “Itsy-Bitsy Bikini.” “They shared an itsy-bitsy black umbrella … too small for a girl and her fella.” We were soaked, but our spirits were not dampened.
I noticed family sitting on the nearby park bench. They had no umbrellas or rain coats and were soaked all the way through, but they didn’t seem to care. Actually … better than that, their youngest had her head back, tongue out and was smiling ear to ear.
When we finally got on the bus, I complimented the father on how his children embraced the rain. He said, “You must have been watching my youngest … our older one was not as thrilled.” I know that we come into life with some formed disposition, but God has left so much for us to will. You can be miserable in the rain or you can dance. I believe little repetitive choices build a rhythm for how we’ll respond to the future. Look up these verses and see how they might fit with what I’m proposing: Psalm 9:1-2; Psalm 42:5; Hebrew 12:7. Share your favorite verses with me.
