Friday, August 23, 2024

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS

The phrase "when it rains, it pours" is an idiom used to describe a situation where multiple negative events or problems happen in quick succession, often overwhelming the person experiencing them. The idea is that when one thing goes wrong, it seems like everything else starts going wrong too, much like how a light rain might suddenly turn into a downpour.

My wife and I were driving home on the I-15 freeway a few days ago when, out of nowhere, a sudden downpour descended from the sky. I snapped a quick photo as it swept across our path. This moment captured perfectly the past month for our family. We've experienced a heartbreaking series of losses—my dad, a close friend, and most recently, our beloved dog of 15 years. It’s true what they say: "when it rains, it pours"

Despite the difficulties we try to move forward with faith and hope. 

Yesterday, a friend shared with my the following story. 

A woman who was terminally ill was discussing her final wishes with her pastor. She told him that she wanted to be buried with her scriptures and that she wanted to be holding a fork in her right hand. The pastor was puzzled by the unusual request and asked her to explain.

The woman smiled and explained that throughout her life, she had attended many church dinners and social gatherings where a meal was served. After the main course, the servers would often lean in and tell the guests to "keep your fork" because something better was coming—usually a delicious dessert like pie or cake.

She told the pastor that this phrase, "keep your fork," had always reminded her that the best was yet to come. So, when people saw her in her casket holding a fork, she wanted them to wonder why. Then, she wanted the pastor to explain that the fork was a symbol of her faith—her belief that even after death, something better was coming, a beautiful afterlife with God.



Sidenote that I thought was interesting: 

The phrase "when it rains, it pours" became associated with Morton Salt through an innovative advertising campaign launched in 1911. At that time, one of the challenges with salt was that it tended to clump together in humid weather, making it difficult to pour. Morton Salt developed a solution by adding a small amount of magnesium carbonate to the salt, which prevented clumping and allowed the salt to pour freely, even in damp conditions.