Make It Rain Love and Kindness

Do you have childhood memories that stand out to you as “magical”? Not magical as in enchanted or mysterious, but rather extraordinary, marvelous, and wonderful. They’re stand out moments because they brought so much happiness. So much wonder. An example would be the “magic of Christmas”.  These are the moments that made you fall in love with life and stand in awe of the world.

One such memory I have can be summed up in two words: Candy Rain

It’s exactly what it sounds like and to a young child, nothing can be more astonishing than candy raining down from the sky! The church I grew up in used to have a Candy Rain every so often for the Sunday School kids. Several men would climb up on the roof of the church and all of us kids would yell, “3-2-1-Candy Rain!” Hundreds of candies would be thrown into the air and drench the ground in front of us in a sweet, sugary downpour.

Warning: Jawbreakers don’t just break jaws, people! You do NOT want to get knocked in the head by one of those bad boys! We’d grab as many pieces of candy as we could and shove them into our bags. It was so much fun!

Not all magical moments came during a big event or holiday though. I remember how excited I used to get when I’d find a caterpillar or ladybug. I’d watch in amazement as they’d crawl across the palm of my hand. Watching the first snowfall of winter was the same. I’ve seen my son get just as excited over finding the perfect rock, pine cone, or stick. They’re small but memorable moments, and for children, they happen often.

Even making new friends can happen in a single, special moment as a child! As adults, we can look back and sometimes pinpoint the exact moment we became friends with someone in grade school. It was probably right after one person asked the other straight up, “Hey! You wanna be my friend?” It’s not the same as with adults! You talk for a while and follow each other on social media. You don’t even realize you’ve made a friend until you’re sitting across from them in a coffee shop thinking, “Huh! I really like this human. Does this mean we’re friends?”

It’s like a whole weird screening process that doesn’t feel magical at all! Please tell me I’m not alone in this.

Anyhow, it just goes to show that as adults, it seems like we have to try harder to recognize these special moments. We know they’re there, but all too often we let them pass us by without a second thought.

Why? It could be due to any number of things:

• We’re drowning in our day to day responsibilities.

• We’re doused with doom and gloom, negativity, and hatefulness each way we turn.

• Our spirits are dampened by the unexpected storms of life.

• Worry, doubt, and insecurities cloud our thoughts.

I’d like to think, however, that there’s still bits of that childhood wonder in all of us. That we, too, can be amazed at the good surrounding us. Let’s aim to see the good and then even more importantly, let’s BE the good.

You and I need to make it rain!

Rain down love! Pour out kindness!

The men who rained candy down from that old church roof created an atmosphere for children to experience a moment of awe and wonder. In the same way, we can be a surprising ray of hope for others in a world that can at times, feel overwhelmingly gloomy.

A sprinkle of encouragement here. A drizzle of optimism there. Let’s remind each other why the world is such a beautiful place!

Let’s immerse ourselves in God’s presence, and as His love floods our hearts, let’s shower the overflow onto others.

Create moments worth remembering. Magical, amazing moments. Friend, let’s make it rain!