Downpour
It rained… it poured… and then it showered some more! Last week, my family came down from Ohio to visit Fort Myers Beach. They came to soak up the sun. Instead, it rained pretty much the whole trip. We got to spend a lot of time catching up, playing cards, and finding silly ways to entertain ourselves indoors. With seven kiddos under age 12, it was a bit of a zoo. Turns out, the rain bonded us together and it came to be seen as a blessing.
It makes sense to not like the rain. It makes outdoor entertainment and activities difficult. Rain gets in the way of our obsession with comfort. Who likes soppy shoes and damp clothes? When it is raining outside, people don’t look out the window and say, "What a great day!" But guess what… that's exactly what God's people in the Old Testament did. When you're living in a desert, a rainy day is a good day.
In many places throughout the Bible, rain is used as a metaphor for blessing. Blessings often “rain down” on the Hebrew people. I wonder… is there a connection between the way we tend to respond to rain and the way we respond to blessings?
Sometimes what feels like a cruddy day can turn into a blessing. This is simply done by shifting our perspective. I believe it is poor theology to uphold the idea that God causes bad things to happen in an attempt to “toughen” us up. However, when it rains… we can grow in our faith. It’s much like a parent. A parent might teach a child that a stove is hot after they touch it. But if a parent makes a child touch a hot stove to teach them that it’s ho, then I’m calling child protection services.
God can bless us in surprising ways, ways that may not always seem like a blessing. God does not send rain to make our lives difficult. God loves us and it sometimes rains. This rain is an essential part of life, and understanding its importance requires us to think beyond ourselves and our own experiences. Without rain, there would be no life at all. Without failure, we would not know achievement. Without want, we would not know satisfaction. Without struggle, we would not know hope.
God did not send the Hebrew people into exile, but while in exile, their faith grew and they became people of strength and perseverance. All things can become a sign of God’s love for us. Blessings are all around us if we truly open our eyes. What if today, we thank God for the rain. Together, let’s make an intentional effort to see God’s love. God loves us deeply, relentlessly, and unconditionally.
Come dance in the rain,
Pastor Lucas
Photo by Geetanjal Khanna