Rain for the Heart

Human beings worry. They fret over the changes and happenings of life, Money woes, illness, separation and divorce- our hearts struggle with these difficulties.

When hearts struggle they can become sick. It is a well known medical fact that stress produces heart disease. Notice I said produces. As doctors we no longer think or suspect that emotional difficulty is damaging to the body, we know it with certainty.

Sadness, grief, loneliness, anger, fear, anxiety, depression- any condition that stresses our heart can create illness.
People get heart attacks and they even die from such difficulty.

If you’re worried about the recent banking bailout and its effects on the world you need to be careful. I know of people who have allowed these things to consume their minds. They have trouble sleeping. They’ve lost weight and come to the emergency room because of anxiety. All they can think of is that what is happening is bad.

Yet, sometimes what we think of as bad is really a good thing.

Look at rain. Recently, a Moroccan woman had sent me an email. She related that one day the sky was gray in Rabat, the Capital of Morocco. Rain was pouring down. People had scurried indoors, shuttered their doors as if the rain were something bad. People were feeling depressed and sad.

All of us like the sun. We like the warmth, the open feeling that it gives to our heart and mind. We don’t like cloudy, rainy days. But rain is important. Rain cleanses the earth. Rain gives life to crops. It is a nourishment.

Our hearts have a rain. It’s called love. The good feelings, kind words, and happy thoughts; All of these positive actions nourish our hearts. They make us feel good and give us hope.

Science has proven that positive actions and thoughts are real. The have a beneficial effect on the body. They can reduce the chances of a cold. They can also reduce the biochemical and hormonal factors that influence our body’s health.

If you have emotional, psychological, or even physical problems make the decision to embrace all of life. Look at your situation with a different eye. Perhaps there is a silver lining in the clouds that seem to threaten your life. Perhaps, what seems difficult is really a nourishing rain.

Sure, puddles may be forming in you life, but maybe it isn’t all bad. Is there some way for you to look with a deeper eye? Is there a way for you to see a benefit in what troubles your life.

Hassna from Morocco has helped me to see things differently.

Her reflections on the rain have given me hope, hope that goodness can be found within difficulty.

Is it raining in your life?

Perhaps its time to look anew.

October 13th, 2008