A quick story wants to be told. About a boy who is followed around by a rain cloud that only rains on him. Sometimes when the rain is particularly heavy, the boy asks, “Why me?” And a thundering voice replies, “Because you deserve it.”
After hearing the voice over and over again, the boy – who experienced life outside the rain cloud as a young child, but who has long since stopped believing in sunny day – begins to believe the rain is his lot in life.
So he passes his life with a rain cloud following him. And feeling sad. Because nobody wants to join him underneath the rain cloud. Until a funny looking old man walks up to him and says, “Would you like to step out of the rain?”
On any other day, the boy would have said no. Because he’s believed he deserves the rain. Because he’s learned to take pride in the rain cloud. And because he doesn’t trust people who don’t get rained on.
In fact, there had been many people before the funny looking old man who asked if he wanted to step out of the rain. But he said no. Because he was surviving just fine. And because who were they to think they could help.
But it has rained particularly hard for years. And the boy who is now a young man has feared that he might even drown. And while he likes to believe that he isn’t afraid of death. He doesn’t want to die. Not under a rain cloud.
Which is why he had lately spent so much time sitting in a puddle and asking – Why me? And each time he asked, a thundering voice replied, “Because you deserve it.” And the boy believed the voice. Over and over again. Until today.
When he swallows his pride. Swallows his belief that the rain is his lot in life. And looks at the funny looking old man who seemed to have nothing in common with him. And says, “I’ve been ready to step out of the rain my whole life.”
One moment. Begins the boy’s journey out of the rain. And toward sunshine. Until many years later. When the boy realizes that one moment wasn’t the beginning. His journey toward sunshine had begun long before.
With a raincloud. And a thundering voice that told him that life rained on him because he deserved it. One too many times. Which was exactly the number of times that the thundering voice needed to yell.
Before the boy was finally ready to look up. And see the miracle in front of him. Waiting to lead him toward sunshine. Which came in the form of a funny looking old man. But which could have come in any form at all.