Sunshine at the Right Time

I live in Juneau, Alaska, where the average annual rainfall is 62 inches (but can be up to 92), and it rains, on average, 230 days of the year.  This is pretty common:

Well, I'm here to tell you that out of the 135 days of sunshine we can expect here this year, we've seen 5 or 6 of them, consecutively, in the past week!  And oh, has it been glorious.  Here's a panorama I took from our front porch the other day:

Sunshine and blue skies 5 days in a row, stars out every night, and even a beautiful display of the Northern Lights on Sunday night.... you don't take this kind of stuff for granted when you live in Southeast Alaska.  Rain and clouds are the norm; sun and stars are exceptional blessings.  

And my Heavenly Father knew exactly the right time to give me a week of beautiful weather.  Because, I'll admit, this past week didn't find me in the greatest place emotionally.  A few days ago, if I'd sat here in my living room, looking out the window at gray skies and dreary rain falling, it would have matched my mood and dragged me down further.  My Abba knew the sunshine would help lift my spirits during those days, and it did.  He is SO very gracious!  

So today, I'm sitting here in my living room, looking at gray skies and dreary rain falling.  Juneau is back to its more normal look.  Today, my heart is at peace, and while sunshine is still my favorite, today I find the rain familiar and cozy.  And I'm thankful.  

   

(PS: For ladies...you know about those days of emotional fragility.  This is something I've been learning about recently -- how our femininity affects our emotional patterns all month long, not just that one week :-)  It's really eye-opening, and I think I'm finding it to be true.  Maybe we aren't as crazy as we sometimes feel!  Check out this web page for more info.)