There is a quote that hangs above my bed and it says "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." I bought it my sophomore year of college and I see it everyday. It is a constant reminder that no matter what may go wrong in this crazy world, I cannot just sit by and wait for that storm to pass. As a Christian, I know that my life was never meant to be a cakewalk. I am going to have to go through hard times so that I can bring glory to God.

Life was never meant to be a journey we go on without having to travel through the valley. If we spent our entire life walking on the mountaintops, we would not be aware of our desperate need for a Savior. We would not lean on the Lord or be able to know what it means to surrender our lives to him. When things are going well it is easy to let God have control. However, when we have to walk through the valley, giving control to Him when life is hard and uncertain and full of fear, we struggle to give him full control.

The thing I have come to love about that quote is that I've had to learn what it means to actually dance in the rain. I have come to the realization that dancing in the rain is surrendering the situation over to God and letting him have complete control so that I have the freedom to dance. I am not bound to walk through the storm forever, only for a season and then it will come to an end. Dancing in the rain means praising the Lord no matter how dark or deep the valley is that you are walking through.

There have been many times in my life where I have walked through a valley and wanted to do things my way. I knew that the Lord was there with me, but I was too stubborn to actually give the situation over to him. Walking through the valley without giving him control, added to the burdens I was already having to carry through the valley. The journey through the valley only became easier when I was finally too tired to do it myself.

We are not meant to carry our burdens alone, the Lord is waiting with open arms to carry you and your burdens. He loves us more than we can imagine and when we hurt, he hurts with us. We are never alone in our struggles but Jesus is not going to help us until we ask him to.

When we get to the point where we ask him to help before we get lost in the darkness of the valley, we have finally learned to dance in the rain.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2-3 NKJV

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