perspective

So, here we are! The end of July, middle of summer, and definitely not rainy season! But, despite the 99 degree weather we had yesterday, mother nature decided to throw a rain storm our way today. Well... if you don't know much about me, one of my absolute worst fears is thunder. Don't ask me what it is about thunder that scares me more than the typical fears of the world (spiders, snakes, tight spaces...), because I have no idea. I'm just a strange one, I guess! :) So as you can imagine, when it started raining I was not a happy Kamper. I hurriedly turned on the computer and started blasting music as loud as I could, and preceded to wrap myself in a blanket huddled on the couch. (typical Lexi during a thunderstorm) 

So as I was sitting on the couch waiting for the storm to pass, my little sister, Gracie, came over and sat by me, and began to sing the song, "Rain, rain, go away. Come back another day!" Being the sarcastic person I am, I started singing "Rain, rain, go away, DON'T come back another day!" Cute Gracie just looked at me, smiled, and said, "but Lexi, rain waters the trees! It's good. We want it to come back." That made me smile. I then told her, "alright, the rain can come back. Just not the thunder!" Then she told me, "Uhhhh no. Rain comes with thunder. But... if you wait a little bit there will be a rainbow!"

That simple statement hit me so hard, even though she didn't mean for it to. She was simply telling me that if I waited another half hour or so, the storm would be over and there would be a rainbow. However, I took it much more literally than that.

As much as we may not realize it all the time, life is our rainstorm. Every rainstorm comes with thunder, just like every life comes with hardships and trials. Some thunder is barely noticeable, just a little bump in the road. But some thunder is so tremendous that it shakes our foundations. How wonderful is it that whenever I focus on the thunder's of life, there is a little child reminding me of the rainbow's. When Christ was here on the Earth, he asked us all to "become as little children". I never really understood that statement until now. True, every rainstorm does come with thunder, but eventually we will be grateful for it, because it gives us rainbows. "The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Chirst." (Peter 1:7)  I love that scripture. 

I am so grateful for my little sister, and the rest of my family, for always reminding me of the bigger picture. I'm not just a random girl from Utah, I am a Daughter of God. He loves me, and I love him. He loves all of his children with an unimaginable indescribable love, and I have felt that so much this summer. As I have been preparing for my mission, and trying to focus my life around Christ, I have experienced such a change in the way I look at people. I no longer see a homeless person begging for money on the street, or a criminal locked behind bars. I see a child of God that He loves unconditionally, no matter what, and because of Him, I immediately love them as well. "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

I have the biggest testimony of my Heavenly Father, and his love for all of His children. I love the gospel, with all my heart. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon, and the strength it has given me. I am grateful for my friends and family. I am grateful for the little things, like the huuuge spider I found in my rain boots today, or the smile I got from the old man on the highway. I'm grateful for that last drop of lemonade in the bottle that no matter how hard you try, it refuses to come out.

 I am so grateful for my little sister, reminding me of rainbows. 

And, as crazy as it sounds, I'm grateful for thunder.

 Gracie and I, waiting for Rainbow's