0 Have you ever seen the rain?

I am one of those people that needs to eat and sleep. If I don't, I get very cranky and irritable. It is a horrible trait, yes I know, but it is who I am and those around me have learned to deal with it over the years. A perfect example of my meltdown mode happened this summer when my family went to Disney World. On our last full day before we went home, the Ridley's went to the classic Magic Kingdom. This was mine and Raleigh's first time to go to Disney together so we were excited for the photo opps and to ride Space Mountain together. But, when I woke up that morning, I was cranky. I tried to have a better attitude when I was getting ready because of the great time I knew we would have that day and I didn't want to spoil it. When we finally arrived to Disney, my spirits were momentarily lifted as we walked into this land where dreams really do come true. But, as the camera started flashing in front of Cinderella's palace, I got hot. Miserably hot. And sweaty. I had actually straightened my hair that day (why? I don't know) and it instantly went into a pony tail. While trying to grin and bear the heat I got snappy and was not a fun person to be around. We headed toward Tomorrowland and I cooled off a little because most of the shows were inside. I made it to lunch and got re-rejuvenated with some food. I started smiling and joking around and thought to myself, "This is gonna be a good day."

After lunch, we headed toward the teacups and things started to spin downward from there. I love kids and I can't wait to take my kids to Disney one day, but being around a bunch of screaming kids in a way too crowded space started making me frustrated. We had eight people in our party and finally we got Na Na a wheelchair but it was crazy trying to all stay together!!!! We quickly finished up that part of the kingdom and headed toward the Pioneer Land section because Paw Paw had to see the Hall of Presidents. Well, it was under construction, wouldn't ya know. By that point, I was hot, tired, and hungry again so my meltdown started to happen. Raleigh, bless his soul, firmly told me to sit down and wait for him to get me something to go into my stomach. He came back with a Mickey Mouse bar for us to share but I ended up eating all of it. Oh, it was cold and chocolaty and just delicious in my mouth. Mickey cured my meltdown momentarily.

After I got that sugar high, we had a good afternoon riding Smokey Mountain and some other rides in that area. One of the last rides we rode was Splash Mountain. For anybody that has ridden Splash Mountain, it looks really scary and wet but in actuality most of the time you do end up staying pretty dry and the ride is refreshing because the mist cools you off. I'm not a huge roller coaster fan, but I can handle Splash Mountain so I was looking forward to this ride. As we go through the ride, we are having a good ole time singing "Zippity-do-da" and then we take a small dip around the half-way point. For some reason, our little cart was not on the correct schedule as the attraction, and when we went on the dip, the water that is supposed to shoot over your head ended up shooting straight in our laps! Raleigh, me and my dad got soaked!!! I mean, sopping wet! After the ride was over, it was time for me to go home.

Last night, I had a similar experience at the Auburn game. We played West Virginia and we had a great time during the day tailgating with Raleigh's architecture friends. We knew there was a chance of rain so we came prepared with rain jackets. We got into the stadium an hour before kickoff and as soon as we sat in our seats, the rain started coming. It was a torrential downpour! There was nothing we could do except stay in our seats because the tunnels were jammed with people trying to get back underneath the cover. So, we sat through it. I actually had fun sitting through the rain because the stadium was playing fun songs like "Have you ever seen the rain" and "When the thunder rolls." The student section was slammed in their seats so it was fun watching everyone show their Auburn spirit regardless of the weather. Finally, the rain slowed down and they were able to start the game. By that point, I started to get chilly. I was literally soaked in every place possible and every time I stood up to cheer my dress would get stuck to my legs and when I sat down in my rented plastic seat and everything was just squishy and uncomfortable. My attitude started to change and I was ready to go. I was a terrible sport and made Raleigh leave at half-time. He was not a happy camper and I learned where the expression "Don't get your panties in a wad" came from.

In saying all of this, sometimes experiences that you look forward to just don't turn out to be fun. It is easy to get our panties in a wad and become irritable and cranky. Instead of making lemonade out of lemons, we pour too many lemons and not enough sugar into the drink making it tart and your mouth turning under instead of up. I am a firm believer that your attitude is everything. When I have a bad attitude, I end up having a bad day and make others around me have a bad day too. But, when I continue to have a positive attitude during the storm or desert or any type of experience, I shine with Jesus' love.

Friends, Jesus went through many more storms that we will ever have to go through, and he still remained true to his Father. I challenge each of us to try and have a positive attitude even when we don't feel like it. I mean, to see all of those fans stick out the game in the pouring rain.....that is passion and dedication and love. Let's have that same passion, dedication, and love towards Christ as we live our lives each and every day. So, no matter rain or shine, let's continue to let our light shine!

Till next time, let your light shine!

blessings, christen

Email This