“Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.” (Quotespedia)
You might have noticed how green all your exterior
plants look after rain. Is the rain that falls from the sky or the water that
comes out of your garden hose best? You might be surprised to find that rain (especially
during a thunderstorm) has special qualities for your plants. Lightning helps
add nitrogen to your garden.
Plants crave nitrogen for a range of reasons
(in particular to produce chlorophyll, the green photosynthetic pigment). If
plants are deficient in nitrogen, they might look yellowish. If the nitrogen
levels are very low for extended periods of time plants might be stunted, get
sick, or die.
Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the atmosphere. Plants cannot
access it directly from the sky as it takes too much energy to turn it into a
form they can actually use. Nitrogen can come from added fertilizers, the
decomposition of organic matter in the soil, and lightning.
For over a billion lightning flashes around
the globe each year, 2 billion kilograms of reactive
nitrogen is produced. Once the rain drops reach the ground they deposit
ammonium and nitrates, which can be used by plants as bacteria and fungi in the
soil. This further transforms the available nitrogen in a process known
as nitrification.
Compared to tap water that is supplied as
treated drinking water. Prolonged watering with water higher in alkaline and
chloride can stop the plant from getting available nitrate.
Plants can also be harmed by high levels of sodium in some
drinking water supplies. Processed drinking water is almost always a poor
source of nitrate. Water authorities all seek to minimize the nitrate content
of drinking water, because high concentrations can be dangerous for babies.
In life, rain provides you with the reward of
slowing down (or pausing) from your daily activity. Let the rain remind you of
the essentials in life. Take in the wonderful life lessons you can only be
taught and learned from the rain (and storms):
Constant change-Change is necessary
for growth and progress to happen. Change can sometimes be uncomfortable,
painful, and unexpected. It is painful, uncomfortable, and no one in their
right minds planned for terrible events to happen in your life. But it does
sometimes.
You must learn to
adapt to change and plan around it. Let change fuel your growth and progress.
Don’t let it be an excuse for not trying again. Enjoy the sun while it’s out. When
rain comes, take delight in the cold and sleep-inducing weather. Go with the
change. Make the most out of it.
Pause-Life can get too
busy, chaotic, and tiring, and sometimes you need to move quickly. You need to
be preparing for your future. You need to have dreams, and working to turn them
into reality. Being busy all the time can be exhausting. You need a pause, and
take it easy. You need to drop what you’re doing once in a while and just sit
back, be comfortable and enjoy your life occasionally. Isn’t that what rain
does for you? It makes you slow down, and sit for a moment to relax.
Sit in silence with
a grateful heart
for all God has
done for you. Do you hear that sound of raindrops on the rooftop? That is great
because not everyone is blessed to have a roof over their head. Do you like the
blanket wrapped around your body as you sleep? That’s amazing because not
everyone is safe and comfortable in their homes. Enjoy and indulge in your
favorite beverage because some people don’t even know where their next meal is
coming from.
Preparation-How many times have
you gone out without an umbrella and it started to rain? Isn’t it inconvenient
when you have things to carry and you get completely soaked because you have no
protection over your head? In life, you have to be prepared for the inevitable.
You have to set aside a portion of your earnings for emergencies.
You (or someone you
know) might be diagnosed with a serious illness. You (or a family member) might
get in a car accident. You might need a repair at on your house. You have to
learn simple skills that will make life easier for you. You’ll never know what
happens tomorrow. So it’s best to be prepared for any possibility today.
Timing-There’s a time for
sunshine. There’s a time for rain. Everything on earth is all about timing.
Sometimes you feel like time is passing you by. It seems everybody’s moving
forward, but you’re here stuck in your mundane life. But are you really? You
can’t compare your life with someone else’s. You go through life’s seasons in your
own pace according to God’s plans.
"When you come out of the storm,
you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm’s all
about." (Haruki
Murakami)[i]
[i] Adapted from:
· “I’ve Always Wondered: is rain better than tap
water for plants?” by Dr. Karl
· “Life Lessons You Can Learn From the
Rain” by CORINNE RODRIGUES
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