. . . these are a few of my favorite things."
-- Rodgers and Hammerstein from The Sound of Music
Yes, I love rain.
I have always loved rain.
I love the crescendo of the rain.
I love the pitter-pattering feet of the rain.
I love the sweet coolness that comes from the rain.
I love the fragrant aroma of the sun-baked soil after the rain.
Certainly, the sound of raindrops falling on tin roofs has to be one of the most comforting memories of my childhood. Ah! Each time it rained, I would seek to grab a blanket relishing the thought of sleeping myself into oblivion or bliss.
Yet, Miss Rain and I had a love-hate relationship.
"Rain, rain, go away,
Come again some other day."
-- English Nursery Rhyme
I did not know the above rhyme as a 10-year old in Haiti but I was no stranger to the annoyance and the complaining spirit that it conveys. Said frustration stemmed from one main issue:
A leaky roof.
Without fail, after the initial few minutes of blissful contentment, an icy droplet would splash on my head or back or eyes or any other part of my body, jolting me back into reality. Our house had a leaky roof and no matter how hard Manmie and Papi tried to fix it, they simply could not come up with enough money to repair the damage during that season of our lives. So, every single room in the house suffered severely from that condition.
My annoyance turned into embarrassment or shame in the early part of December of 1984 when an American family came over on a friday evening. That day, we had all helped with the cleaning and cooking before their arrival because, though very humble and modest, we wanted our house to look and smell clean. I was feeling awfully proud to see how well the visit was going when the first raindrop tapped its invasive and unwelcome foot on the roof.
Oh no!
Soon, everyone was scurrying around and about grabbing bowls, jars, and buckets to collect water from the million leaks our roof revealed to our guests. Plastic covers were placed on tables, beds, chairs, and . . . even, our guests. I was really ashamed of appearing so poor in the eyes of our guests!
Then, out of the blue, this verse came to my head,
A leaky roof.
Without fail, after the initial few minutes of blissful contentment, an icy droplet would splash on my head or back or eyes or any other part of my body, jolting me back into reality. Our house had a leaky roof and no matter how hard Manmie and Papi tried to fix it, they simply could not come up with enough money to repair the damage during that season of our lives. So, every single room in the house suffered severely from that condition.
My annoyance turned into embarrassment or shame in the early part of December of 1984 when an American family came over on a friday evening. That day, we had all helped with the cleaning and cooking before their arrival because, though very humble and modest, we wanted our house to look and smell clean. I was feeling awfully proud to see how well the visit was going when the first raindrop tapped its invasive and unwelcome foot on the roof.
Oh no!
Soon, everyone was scurrying around and about grabbing bowls, jars, and buckets to collect water from the million leaks our roof revealed to our guests. Plastic covers were placed on tables, beds, chairs, and . . . even, our guests. I was really ashamed of appearing so poor in the eyes of our guests!
Then, out of the blue, this verse came to my head,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3, NIV
God's Word helped me see the height of my pride. I saw how intent I was on impressing that family. I saw how impossible it was for a poor Haitian boy to wow the eyes of first-world American guests. I saw how, in God's eyes, my family still had value despite our lack of means to fix a leaky roof. I saw how important it was to serve others regardless of how inadequate I felt about the gifts I had to offer.
In the end, the leaky roof became a teacher for my heart. It taught me how I need to be so secure and grounded in Christ, that come rain or shine, I will remain a humble servant seeking to please Him in my interactions with people.
Father, I am a leaky roof on this journey of faith. Please, cover and fill my holes with Your essence so that I will be rainproof when the downpour of crises threaten to bring me down. Kill my pride and help me to serve others humbly and joyfully as I follow You. Amen!
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