What is it about water? I was asked recently where my favorite vacation spot would be. The more I thought about it, harder it seemed to provide an answer. I love to travel and can be happy in pretty much any environment. I love mountains, beaches, cities and wilderness. But then it struck me. If I truly want to relax, I need to be near water. Being around water cleanses my spirit. It lets me exhale and release every ounce of anxiety and stress. Jesus talked about sending rain on the just and the unjust in Matthew 5:45. As it did then, water means crops, prosperity, and life.

I love a good rain storm. I could stand and watch it for hours. If I'm at the office, I have to take at least a few moments to soak it in (vicariously, if not literally). When it rains, I feel at peace. There's a peace to the rhythm of rain hitting a window that drowns out the noise of everyday life. If you don't believe me, just do a quick search for "rain" in your app store and see how many choices pop up.

When I was young, we lived in an area of Pennsylvania frequented by the most glorious thunderstorms. They were loud and sometimes scary, but when we lost electricity, our family would break out the candles and sit around telling stories. Most of those were stories about how God came through during impossible circumstances: blizzards, near-miss accidents, things that should have caused harm but didn't. Whether you're a follower of Christ or not, you'll walk through difficult and sometimes life-threatening storms. But the storms are not your enemy. If you seek God's truth in the midst of them, He can use them to restore you.