Music in the Rain: Peace when your heart is broken

One Sunday afternoon a few years ago, I was enjoying some much-needed solitude. My girls were gone for the evening and I was able to let down and recharge after a busy week.

A few months earlier I had gone through a sudden and unwanted divorce. We had been married for twenty years and I had been looking forward to sharing a soon-to-be empty nest with my husband. Then, in the span of five months, my marriage, my dreams, and my whole way of life disintegrated. The months that followed were full of fear, anger, shock, and unbearable pain.

God kept me from despair by awakening me to the little blessings of life. Color lifted my spirits; music expressed my mood and fed my aching soul. I learned to cherish soft textures and the smallest touch from family and friends.

This warm May evening, I opened the windows to let in the scent of lilacs and fresh mown grass. Just as I curled up in my favorite chair to read, I heard the soft patter of rain. I glanced up to see the setting sun radiating through clouds still white with light. Incredible peace embraced me.

Soon, a new sound blended with the rain. The neighbor behind us began to strum his guitar softly on their patio. There was no particular melody, yet it was soothing and harmonious. Tears of joy spilled down my cheeks as I laughed and praised God. Who else could have brought this all together? My neighbor had never played his guitar on the patio before and I never heard him again. This concert in the rain reassured me God still cared and that He loved me.

~ (c) Beth Vice, September 2009