After pouring a cup of coffee and sitting down in my office to review my notes, I see massive and dark storm clouds are towering in the western sky. The storm hit quickly bringing a flurry of sleet and hail which were quickly replaced by a cold, pouring rain.
I usually look at these days as a wonderful excuse to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot coffee. However, if you don't have any dry, warm place that is yours in which to curl up, a rainy day can seem like hell.
Several years ago, on a visit to Amsterdam, I arrived in the city about 10 hours before I could get the keys to the apartment I had rented. Not that big a deal, I thought as I made my travel plans. Hah! When we landed at Schiphol Airport it was pouring rain. I dragged my luggage, two suitcases and a carry on bag, onto the train bound for Centraal Station in the City Centre. I placed the two larger bags in a storage locker and ventured out into the rain. Over the next several hours, I had breakfast, found a rain slicker to purchase, visited gift stores, ate lunch and walked in the rain. My shoes and socks were soaked through and my feet were cold. I remember thinking I just wanted to take a hot shower and a nap and realized that was not possible which made me feel oddly anxious and alone without a place to call home.
My experience that day was trivial and lasted only a few hours but the memory came flooding back as I thought about our guests and wondered what they were coping with the downpour. An image of Gail came to mind, she uses a walker with her bag piled on top of it and moves slowly.
I wonder how many people are with Kevin today? He has a van and last night shared with me that he had done some clean-up work for an older couple and was given some money and a tank of gas. He shares rides with the others in this informal, always changing "family" of guests at the Macomb Warming Center. Kevin asked if I could pray that it not rain so much because it created such challenges for those without permanent shelter. I reminded him that the farmers were praying for rain and that if the dry land could pray, it would also ask for life giving rain. He thanked me for offering another perspective. I thanked him for the same reason.
Is a rainy day good or bad? Both and neither. The day is what it is.
Later, when we opened the doors, we could sense that the mood of our guests was subdued--tempered by dealing with the weather all day. Cindy commented how she wished we could have provided showers for people because sometimes a warm shower is the best way to warm up after a day in the rain. I agree.
Tonight, the warming up will need to come from Sloppy Joe's, soup, hot coffee and the connections of friendship being shared between our guests and volunteers. With an occasional request for dry socks, which we gladly share.
The journey continues ...
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