It was late November. The trees that had been covered with lovely leaves just a few weeks earlier were now stark, skinny sticks trying to ride out the Winter to come. The sun had become scarce as the dark nights lengthened, but today it was totally gone. Gray, gloomy clouds covered the sky, a cold wind blew, and a chilly rain was falling steadily. I was driving slowly behind a tractor trailer that was throwing up huge waves of water on my windshield.

In addition to this storm it seemed like my life was having a lot of bad weather as well. My clothes dryer had died the day before and ordering a new one had taken another nasty bite out of my savings. It was only the latest in a long line of things tearing up, wearing out, and needing replaced during the last two years. I always had just enough to keep going but not much more than that.

As I drove along, though, I wasn’t crying or pouting or worrying. Instead I was singing along to one of my favorite songs on the radio. I was smiling into the grayness and thanking God for my family, my life, and all the blessings in it. I was using this latest problem to remind myself that my real riches weren’t in my bank account but in my heart and soul. I was finally living the lesson that it had taken me most of my life to learn: “It doesn’t matter what life gives to you. What matters is what you give to life.”

Life gives us all good weather and bad. Life gives us all sunshine and rain. Life gives us all joy and pain. It is up to us, though, to soak up the sun and let the rain wash away our tears. It is up to us to use this life to let our love grow deeper, our hearts grow kinder, and our souls grow stronger. It is up to us to share our love, to give our kindness, and to shine our light on fair days and foul. May you always do so. May you always help God to make earth more like Heaven.