The Rain Umbrella

I was five and a half (the half was very important) and it was the summer before I was to start kindergarten.  I had attended my Kindergarten Visit Day and I was very proud of what I learned and I was anticipating the start of my academic career.  I had practiced walking the route to my little brick elementary school (my mom had four children under the age of five and a half and it was unlikely she would be able to walk with me every afternoon--times were different back then.)

I could hardly wait to start school.  I was the oldest sibling in my family and the oldest grandchild as well, so I was the first to embark on the new experience.  My grandmother wanted to be a part of the new adventure and she asked my mother if we could all go shopping so she could buy me a few school necessities.  My mother was delighted for the help so we travelled from New Jersey to Connecticut to shop at the large Post Mall.

Grammie took mom and I to her favorite department store, Reeds.  We walked through the Children's Department.  We picked out a couple of colorful school outfits (most suitable for cold weather).  Then the most incredible thing happened to my five and a half year old self!  My grandmother spotted a display of children's rain gear.

"Stephie will definitely need a rain coat and umbrella, especially if she is going to walk to Mrs. Wilhelm's afternoon class."

Did my ears just hear her correctly?  Was Grammie talking about me having my own umbrella?

The three of us ladies pawed through the rain coat choices on the rack.  We settled on a blue and white check ensemble--a rain coat and a matching umbrella (and not just any umbrella, but a bubble umbrella).  I was going to be the coolest kid in my family, in my grade, in my school, in my town, maybe even the world!

Every night from then on until the night before the first day of school I prayed, "dear God please let it rain on the first day of school. Please, please let it rain."

It did not rain on my first day of kindergarten but it rained plenty of other days and my bubble umbrella and I weathered many rainstorms.

In the past years, I have needed a bubble umbrella to shelter me from the storms.  Psalm 91, verse one says: "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."--a protective bubble.

White Stone

"I've got our picnic, blanket and jackets. Do you have the tickets," I said to Jim.

We were able to buy "shed" tickets to a summer James Taylor concert at Tanglewood in western Massachusetts' Berkshire mountains at a deep discount. In my wildest dreams  I never thought we would ever get James Taylor tickets at Tanglewood let alone shed seats instead of lawn seats!

"Wow, the skies look ominous. I hope the rain clouds blow over," Jim and I commented.

Sadly, the farther up into the Berkshires we drove in our old teal green Volvo wagon, the more the raindrops fell.

"Do you think the rain will thin out the crowds? Who wants to sit on wet grass for hours in the rain to listen to a concert," I asked Jim. "Boy are we lucky to have seats under the pavilion roof."

When we arrived at the venue, we had to park in a grassy field. (Little did we know that hours later we would be stuck hubcap deep in mud in that field--an unwelcome adventure to say the least.) We persevered, putting on our jackets, grabbing our food and blanket and locking the car. We walked up the hill only to learn that we could not take our undercover seats until the concert began, so we had to eat our "gourmet" picnic out on the grass under a tree that dripped raindrops on us.  We tried to view the soggy inconvenience as romantic because, after all, it was James Taylor!  We would make it work.

We underestimated the resolve of James' fans. The lawn was covered with folks determined to get a glimpse of the singer and hear his old familiar songs. Even though park rangers moved through the crowd asking people to take down the make-shift tents they had pitched to shelter from the rain, everyone obliged and pressed ahead. (Jim and I felt so blessed to be able to show our tickets and find dry seats in the "shed.")  We were in for a wonderful evening. Despite all the challenges, we left the concert full of joy and and cherished memories. We were so glad we went!

In the biblical book of Revelation it says:

"To him who overcomes, I will  give some of the hidden manna [eternal life]. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." 

I love the idea of overcoming--persevering, hanging in there, conquering, not giving up--so that we might receive a white stone. (White stones were the "tickets/invitations" of the day when John wrote  the words of Revelation.) Going through all the earthly challenges and not giving up gets an invitation to the wonderful banquet God has in store for us. It will be worth it-- like a great concert in the rain.  Hang in there!