Petrichor: The Smell of Rain and A Woman Transformed
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)
THE STORY
Drip
Drip
Pitter pat
Pat
Drip
That sound announces the beginning of what I already knew. Rain is coming.
Even before I sat and paused in the stillness of daytime shadowless sky which gave no clue as to how time was passing, I felt that slight weight of the compressed wetness in the air tugging at my emotions in anticipation. Still, I sat awaiting the inevitable. Why, you may ask? Why no umbrella? No concern for wet hair, wet clothes, we things in pockets, wet socks in shoes? It is these beginning sensations in and of themselves that are my why. They initiate the test of my resolve to be part of the nature of life, of God.
Much like one step must be taken in order to take the next, so it is with the smell of rain, waiting with anticipation for it to arrive. I wanted to bear witness to the power of small singular drops that come together, felt individually at each touch to my skin, one after the other building up to a cascades of awe, wonder, and thanksgiving. These are experiences that I would never fully appreciate if protected and sheltered.
At the smell, I knew this was my chance to settle in, open up to the divine, and take the experiential journey of transformation one drop at a time.
THE REFLECTION
Imagine if you had not a care in the world except to experience pure joy and peace like a child who finds the wetness of the rain surprising and curious, begging to feel that feeling of wet coolness for the first time that comes from so far above that it is a wonder how it could have landed in such a way as to tickle the skin so. Yet, it seems with age that we lose this admiration for the new and forge lighthearted wonder into worry inducing protectiveness and risk averse sensibilities. And so, I offer you this invitation. When you next step out into the smell of rain, do not turn back and seek a jacket and umbrella. Do not cover your hair or worry for makeup. Lose yourself in this moment that you might find yourself. That is to say, find yourself in letting go of all the protections and efforts to maintain vanity or comfort or predictability so that you might rekindle your own fascinations at God’s handiwork. In fact, you may discover that the true handiwork to rediscover is yourself.
I suspect that going without makeup, sharply ironed clothing, and perfectly placed pins and curls may leave many of us feeling vulnerable, maybe even more vulnerable than the child who knows not of these aspects of their being. But it is then that we will find freedom and liberty to show up as we are.
There is something special about being able to do just that, show up as we are, being at peace with our imperfections and unpredictable nature of being.
Allow me to offer you a story of when I gained new revelation in this light.
For quite some time I would go without makeup. It was so rare that I did wear makeup that when I did it was a surprise and curious thing to many who knew me well. What I didn’t know is that my lack of covering up my obvious imperfections, the vast majority of which having been the result of picking at my skin regularly as if I were a teenager with acne issues, was a comfort to others. It was when a mother brought it to my attention one day, as I came to church in makeup, that I felt the need to take a grand pause.
I was being pointed to as an example for quite some time before this moment with this mother and didn’t even know it. I was admired and appreciated for not putting on make-up and showing up as myself on a regular basis. When she approached me about my wearing make up with a sense of disappointment in her gaze, I told her I was working on a professional look and playing in makeups. As I learned of when she was communicating to her daughter and the appreciation of my love for myself and beauty without it, I was taken back a bit. But I did realize two things, one on that day and another sometime later. I first realized that my natural self was truly beautiful. While it was my norm to go without makeup, I was quite self-conscious and often looked at myself with shame but pushed through and showed up anyway hoping not to happen upon a mirror to remind me of my imperfections. But now, it occurred to me, I would see that people needed this visual that was all too uncommon in the world, showing up just as you are and being a reflection of that which is good. Not just good enough, but good like that of God in the creation story, created and in no need to put false pretenses on for the sake of professionalism.
The second thought later on was that much like dressing up, make-up can and should be a fun and enjoyable experiment and adventure in life. It however should not be to present oneself to please others. So, I say wear it if it brings you joy, as there were plenty of times that wearing it had for me. Avoid it if it is only to put on a show for others. When I did that, I lost sight of myself, of the beauty within me. Lesson learned. Today, I am thankful for that mother’s intervention, for showing me that there are many drops of God’s divine goodness that I would never see or feel, but on that day, I was brought back to my senses, and she was the smell of rain I needed. Her words were the drops I needed to feel. The years of cascading love of others who care for me just as I am and my own growing love for self were the rain showers of blessings beyond measure.
“Today, I am thankful for that mother’s intervention…Her words were the drops I needed to feel.”
With these revelations, I leave you with that call to action which I hope my examples and stories bring home to your mind. Embrace something that is natural like waiting in petrichor, the smell of rain, and wait there for your rains to come with anticipation of the holy and divine. Do so in a way that stretches you. Not to show off or present yourself to the world in some way, but because in being yourself in such openness then God is revealed in you and you in others. You may never know who is watching and needs to see that there is no need to cover blemishes, hide brokenness, or shy away from differences. You may very well find wonder and awe by resisting the urge to cover up before the rains fall. Surely the light and love of Christ are far more powerful, tangible, and loving than anything the world may have to say, think, or feel about you.
When you take your step and pause to await the beauty of God’s design as it prepares to flood your senses inside and out, may you be the mirror the world needs to see so that they may see themselves anew. May you inspire transformation of hearts and minds. May your efforts even transform you until standing in anticipation for the rain is no longer a stretch, but a normal part of the rhythm of life for you. Normal because just as you are created to be you are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image of God.
Blessings,
Linda Furtado
Linda Furtado is the Director of Spirituality and Arts at Scarritt Bennett Center and leads our Soul Work program. For more information, please email [email protected].