It is monsoon season in Nepal.
A few minutes ago, Mum and I left our house to go and meet a friend. We walked a few metres down the road when the heavens opened and Gush! With no warning, the Water From the Sky dial went from ‘nothing’ to the ‘monsoon’ setting. It is raining heavily now. Big droplets are cascading down in overwhelming numbers. Thunder is rumbling and lightning is crackling. Mum and I have retreated back to our room to wait it out.
Rain does funny things to people. Mum and I only have one umbrella so when it rains, we are forced to share the shelter that is clearly meant for only one person. Tensions run high as Mum accidentally prods the umbrella in my face or I momentarily forget she is there and she gets wet.
Rain is a big source of complaint, too. It stops people going where they want to go when village roads are cut off. It wets dry washing, It creates mud that causes people to slip, fall, face plant, and sometimes spread eagle (I’ve seen the latter happen once and it was hilarious). It causes flooding that can ravage homes, businesses and lives.
But rain has its benefits. It gets the hydropower pumping so there’s more electricity. It wets the rice plains and causes the plants to grow so that the Nepalis can eat their dal bhat 57 times a day (ok it’s more like 2 – 4 times, but you know. And dal bhat is lentil soupy stuff poured over rice). It settles the dust on Kathmandu’s notorious roads. It fills rainwater tanks so there’s water to drink.
When things go wrong in life, when the proverbial rains start to pour down on us, we can choose how we react. Will we complain, or will we patiently seek the shelter of our Heavenly Father? Will we curse the rain because it is inconvenient, or will we see how it causes things to grow in us? Will we prod people in the face and exclude them as we seek our own comfort first, or be loving and compassionate and comfort others who are in times of rainy struggle? Just like the Nepali monsoons, rains can come out of nowhere, so we need to think about this stuff now, so we’re ready.
The rain has eased off now, so we’re off to do what we set out to do and meet our friend. I will continue to think about and be challenged by how I act when the rains fall.
‘But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’
MATTHEW 5:44, 45
‘If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!’
PROVERBS 24:10
Adventures in Nepal 