In Melbourne, Australia, rain is commonplace. In fact, we are known for the city that has all four seasons in one day, and, it’s actually true. To wake up to a beautiful blue spring sky, get fooled into thinking it’s going to be a summer’s day, then to have it turn quickly from spring, summer, straight into autumn, and then become a cold and rainy winters day is part of the joy of living in this town. We are currently two weeks from summer starting in Australia, and it feels like winter. Rain can be inconvenient, annoying, damaging and even depressing, however, after the rain comes the rainbow.
My routine is to get up between 5 and 5:30am to train six days per week, and now that I am living by the beach, it is even more motivating. The one thing that dampens my enthusiasm, is the damp and cold. In my younger days, it would not bother me, but I am older and softer these days and I much prefer mild and dry weather. I certainly chose the wrong city to live in to make that my climate expectation. Any who, I was training the other morning, by the water, with the wind blowing and rain pelting in my face, just wishing it was all over so I could go home and get in a hot shower, when all of a sudden, it ‘did a Melbourne’.
When I say, ‘did a Melbourne’, I mean, it was typically Melbourne and, in a moment, the wind stopped, the rain stopped, and the sun came out. Then, as the clouds cleared a beautiful rainbow emerged. I finished off my workout enjoying much nicer weather conditions, and a stunning rainbow. Rainbows are amazing to me. I can’t explain where they come from, or how they are formed. The one thing I know for sure is that the rainbow always comes after the rain.
I want to encourage you to imagine that rain is a metaphor for the challenges in your life, and the rainbow is the blessing that comes as a result of that challenge. That being the case, I hope you can see that, just as the rain passes and is followed by a rainbow, challenges will also pass and be followed by incredible lessons, opportunities, or gifts. The key to enjoying the amazingness of the rainbows in your life is to firmly believe that tough times will pass and expect great things will come as a result.
I am writing this blog in my new office in my new home, and I feel so incredibly blessed for this house I have just purchased. It is definitely the rainbow that came after the rain. As I have already spoken about, so my apologies if you have heard this before, it was about three months ago my life was thrown into a bit of turmoil. Happily residing in a home, I was renting and had been for nine months, I received an email with a notice to vacate. The owner of the property had given me the remaining three months of my twelve-month lease to vacate the property, by November 25, 2022.
Even just a few years ago, that news would have sent me spiralling into ‘poor little old me’ mode. I would have chucked a tantrum, started blaming, complaining and effectively making everyone’s life miserable, mostly my own. But I handled this very differently. In fact, I surprised myself. The rain was pelting down, but I imagined the rainbow. Maybe it’s time to buy my own place, Ithought, this is definitely a sign from God. I thought about how it would feel when, within those three months I could find, buy, settle, and move into my own home. I did, and in fact, made it happen in just two months. I can tell you; I love my new home and will be enjoying this rainbow for many years.
I want to encourage you, as soon as the rain starts falling in your life, imagine and expect the rainbow that will come. Is the rain falling on your health? If so, get to work to become healthy again and imagine when you can do the things you want, and inspire others at the same time. That’s a pretty exciting rainbow. Is the rain pelting on your relationship? If it is, get to work repairing the conflict, and imagine the rainbow that will appear as your relationship is restored and renewed. Is the rain fear in your life that you may not be good enough or worthy enough to achieve what you want? My goodness, repeat this next sentence to yourself over and over again; I am enough, I am worthy, just as I am. Can you visualise your life when you truly believe that? Can you envisage how beautiful that rainbow will be.
The harder the rain, the more amazing the rainbow, but it does have to rain first. Challenges will come, and the need to come, for you to experience amazing blessings, opportunities, and growth in your life. In my podcast this week with Matthew Loudon, called Get off the grid, Matthew discusses the torrential rain that was his traumatic childhood and a life which spiralled into depression. Now, on the other side, he is enjoying the benefits and blessings that come from moving through the storm to enjoy the rainbow on the other side. It is a powerful and inspiring conversation.
Is there rain in your life right now? If so, get excited, because just now, as you negotiate the challenges you are experiencing with a desire for change and an expectation of great things to come, the rainbow will appear, and it will be the most beautiful rainbow you have ever seen. Believe in your life, just as with nature, that the rainbow comes after the rain.