You Can Play in the Rain
Warm sunny days are an invitation to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Those days are an opportunity to embrace the community around you and enjoy God’s creation. Children love playing outside when the weather permits it. They love running around and playing sports outside. Being outside gives them a sense of freedom.
But what happens when a cold front brings rainy and cold days?
Our first Bible distribution in Baltimore, MD, took place on May 4, 2024. Our partner for that weekend was City Beat Baltimore. On the first Saturday of each month, City Beat Baltimore hosts an Adopt a Block outreach program. Their vision for their Saturday Adopt a Blocks is to welcome the surrounding community in east Baltimore to come to the church for games, food, fellowship, and worship. When the weather permits, their Saturday Adopt a Blocks are an inspiration to the community to gather for a time of fellowship outside the church. However, an issue arose as the temperature continued to drop on Friday, May 3rd, and the wind picked up. The radar showed rain and thunderstorms moved east and would soon approach Baltimore.
The week began with warm, sunny days but ended with a cold and rainy weekend. There was a concern. How could we enjoy an outreach in the community when the weather would not allow for it?
Storms and rainy days happen to everyone, both realistically and mentally. However, rainy days teach us to adjust plans and enjoy God's blessings. Our first distribution in Baltimore, MD, was no different. Did the rain cause a shift in plans? Yes! But it also reminded us that we can play in the rain.
Along with providing Bibles to children in Baltimore, we also gave them wooden boats. A church located thirty minutes outside of Baltimore decorated the boats with encouraging messages to remind the children that Jesus loves and knows them. We provided boats to fit Baltimore's harbor theme and remind children that Jesus is a safe harbor.
Providing boats was a simple gesture that served as an important reminder.
Did the amount of people we wanted to come to the Adopt a Block show up? No, but the ones who needed to be there did. One of those children who did show up loved his boat and was thankful that people spent time decorating it for him so he can remember that Jesus loves him. He also loved the boat when he found a puddle of water outside the church. (See video above) He made the boat drive itself in the puddle. Everyone watched as he was amused by the tiny boat in the water.
From this experience, we learned that you can play in the rain. You can play in the rain that comes from the sky, but you can also play in the rain when storms take over your life. Our friend in Baltimore experienced joy from a tiny boat toy. The challenge is for you to find something that brings you joy in the midst of a rainy life experience.
Don’t just enjoy the sunny days. Enjoy the rainy days as well.