Rain in the Desert

The economic model of supply and demand is used in order to determine prices for products or services on the market. First, lets briefly define what supply and demand represent. While supply refers to the availability of products or services, demand refers to the quantity desired by buyers.

Now, the model of supply and demand shows that when demand exceeds supply, the price of the goods or services increases. This economic model reflects that people are willing to pay more for a product or service that is in low supply. But, the simple fact that a buyer is willing to pay more implies that the buyer values the product or service that much more.

So, no one can escape the fact that the value of things lies in how rare it is. Plain and simple, we all cherish things that are rare and exceptional. And there is nothing more exceptional than rain in the desert.

Rainy days tend to be rare in the city of Phoenix. Because the sun shines more than 300 days a year, the city is known as the Valley of the Sun. However, if the year has 365 days, the weather in the Valley inopportunely surprises us with rain at least 25 percent of the year.

Rain truly generates excitement across the Valley because it interrupts the heat that is experienced daily by its residents. The rain generates a buzz in the valley. And since rain is like ointment that soothes the arid desert climate, many offer thanks and praise to God declaring that the spilled water is an expression of His love.

But while the rain is much desired in Phoenix, it is interesting that the appreciation for rainfall varies around the earth. The reality is that rain is not equally enjoyable in other parts of the world. Let's say that the frequent rain in a given season or place may become an annoyance; but when the season yields more drought rain becomes much more desired. I think the secret for paying higher appreciation for precipitation depends on the frequency with which it is experienced.

And this also applies to our lives. It is obvious that those who are constantly troubled appreciate a blessing that much more when it arrives. Just as those who constantly experience blessings render more appreciation for the lesson that comes as a result of tough times.

But if we meditate on the fact that we experience life through seasons, we realize that we all go through seasons that are unusual. At some point everyone has said or will say, "this does not usually happen to me.” The funny thing is that the same phrase is used whether we are living one of our best moments or whether we are experiencing a bitter season. Clearly the label "unusual" is useful to describe something good or something bad.

Now inevitably we may ask where lies the value of each of our seasons? And how can we appreciate every one of them?

I think the answer lies in recognizing that each season has its charm because "God made everything beautiful for the right time" (Ecclesiastes 3: 11). And just as we appreciate the beauty of a rainy day in the desert, we must learn to value every season of life, whether good or not so good.

So, whether you are living one of your best seasons or going through a bitter season, enjoy every moment! Allow the following words to serve as both a consolation and a warning: "There is a season for everything, and there is a time for everything" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Therefore, since no season is permanent or will last forever let us fall in love with the charm of every moment.