Rainy days and Mondays

Karen and Richard Carpenter

The Carpenters were one of my favorite groups back in the early 70's. Their mellow songs could transport me in a sea of calm faster than anything else in the world.

Karen had such a sweet, gentleness to her voice and Richard, her brother, sounded just as kind. I loved watching them perform together. I'd never seen a woman drummer before and Karen was amazing! They had such a chemistry and it was evident that they loved and cared for each other deeply. That was one reason I loved them so...I always longed for a relationship like theirs. 

So many of their songs became instant hits...but one of their songs, always bothered me...not because it wasn't popular, but because of the message. Rainy days and Mondays is the name of the song that struck such a deep chord within me and today, although it's not a Monday, that song came to mind. 

It's been raining here for the past two days and it hasn't let up. All next week, the weathermen are predicting even more rain. I'm hoping they're wrong because this dreary, rainy weather has been making me feel really down in the dumps. I'm not one to get depressed easily so I don't quite understand why I'm feeling this way. Old hurts have surfaced and I just want to sit and cry. Why do we find such comfort in throwing our own pity party? I had to ask myself this question today and I got an answer. 

As I thought about why I was feeling so down and alone and like no one cared about me at all, I could almost envision Satan laughing at me. I could just picture him getting pleasure from my misery. And as I began to think about it even more, I realized that Satan’s strategy is devastatingly simple and effective. He wants us to live in regret of the past and fear of the future, effectively robbing us of the joy of today. 

When it's overcast and rainy, it can be very depressing because it can cause us to become introspective. Often, when we're looking inside ourselves, we become overly critical with things we don't like and that causes us to become sad or discouraged. It's hard to accept the things we can't change or the things we have no control over and that's where Satan tends to prick us. He loves to accuse us and tells us lies about ourselves because he knows if we begin to believe those lies, he's gained a stronghold in our lives. Instead of believing the truth of who we are in Christ, we wallow in self pity. 

When I find myself sliding down the slippery slope of depression, like these rainy, dreary days invoke, I make myself realize that listening to those lies is very dangerous and detrimental to my health. If I don't cling to the truth, I can easily slide into a pit of despair. So how do I combat dreary, depressing, rainy days? Let me tell you.

The first thing I do is put on some upbeat music...something that makes me want to dance! Music has the power to change my moods very quickly. After I put on my happy music, I open ever window blind in my house. I want to let in as much light as possible. Even on dreary days, there's some light outside and letting as much of it in as possible really helps. The next thing I do is remember and quote Scripture out loud. Here's a verse that often helps me: 

The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
Psalm 28:7

After listening to Scripture verses, I call someone who can offer me some encouragement. I don't necessarily tell them I'm feeling down in the dumps, but often, they can hear it in my voice and just know I need some loving kindness.

By  the time I've done all of these things, I'm starting to feel much better. The clouds of gloominess have faded away and that spirit of depression is gone. Rainy days don't have to get your down, but when they do, look for something to make you smile. Count your blessings! Every day is a treasure. A heart of gratitude is one of the best ways to dispel depression. And if you don't know any of the Carpenter's songs and would like to listen to an upbeat, happy one, may I suggest you listen to "On Top of the World"? It's a good one! You can hear it by clicking here. 

Listen to Rainy Days and Mondays here.

Listen to the Carpenters Greatest Hits here. 

Lyrics to Rainy Days and Mondays:

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old 

Sometimes I'd like to quit, nothin' ever seems to fit
Hangin' around, nothin' to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothin' is really wrong, feelin' like I don't belong
Walkin' around, some kind of lonely clown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
Funny, but it seems I always wind up here with you
Nice to know somebody loves me
Funny, but it seems that it's the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me
(The one who loves me)
What I feel has come and gone before
No need to talk it out
(Talk it out)
We know what it's all about
Hangin' around
(Hangin' around)
Nothin' to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. 

©bonnie annis all rights reserved