As my wife walked around the corner, she said with a fleeting smile, "The rain reminds me of Indonesia. I miss hearing the rain fall on our metal roof."

It breaks my heart when my family brings up those types of reminders about our lives in Indonesia. Don't get me wrong. I love remembering the good times we shared as a family and with friends. But my heart still aches when I think of the life we left behind, and based on the words I hear from my wife and kiddos, they miss that life as well.

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Steady Rain Versus Torential Downpour

My wife's comment was about the steady rain that pitter-pattered on our home's metal roof. That was the gentle, therapeutic rain that calmed our minds and our hearts. That was the warm rain that we allowed our children to play in - the kind that you could enjoy everything refreshing and nothing harsh.

We love to remember the good times.

But there was often a kind of rain that brought a chill to your bones.

• a rain that beat your body as you drove on a motorcycle.
• a rain that sounded like a thousand pairs of hands clapping.
• a rain that blew into your home due to fierce winds.
• a rain that dripped through the holes in the roof and flooded the floors.

Not all of my "rain" memories are good ones.

The Best Days Are Yet To Come

My family and I have consistently struggled (for the last 18 months) about remembering the good old days. We think of how life was great and wonderful when we lived overseas, and how it does not always feel so great and wonderful now that we are back "home."

The struggle is real, and I believe that it will continue to be a constant struggle for many of us. But I don't want my family to live in the past. I want us to be present in the moment and looking forward to the future. May the knowledge and experience we have gained in the past guide our steps, but may they never enslave us.

I believe that the best days are yet to come. Should we forget the past? Certainly not.

But we must not neglect the present and fail to prepare for the future.

Final Thoughts

A simple rainstorm brought a smile to my wife's face. It made her both happy and sad.

I choose to live in the moment (and guide my family to do the same). We will allow our past to be remembered and celebrated, but we will not allow it to limit the hope we have for a better future.

1. Do you most often live in the past, the present, or the future?
2. Tell us about a memory that brings a smile to your face.
3. Tell us about a memory that makes you sad.

Thanks for stopping by! I looking forward to continuing​ this conversation​n in the comments section.