Rain, Come Again Another Day?

Recently, I’ve noticed that it has been raining almost every day this month so far. The days have been cloudy, soggy, humid and rather gray. Normally by now, we would’ve been enjoying the sunny 80 degree days of spring.

But from the grocery store clerk to the lady behind me in line at the post office – everyone seemed to have something negative to say about the rainy weather. I will be the first to admit that I do not enjoy damp clothes, wrestling with an umbrella, or wet shoes.  If you saw my hair today, you’d clearly see why humidity is not my friend!

The thought of having to redo my hair drained me. Right at the moment when I wanted to complain, the scripture from Romans 8:28 came to mind… “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

As I began to think about that verse, I considered how even the rain was working for my good.

The most obvious good was right in front of me as I took my groceries out of the car. My front yard was glorious, yet I had not lifted a finger or even picked up the garden hose! The flowers were vibrant and the grass was lush and green. As I looked at my yard, I had to thank God – where else could I get my lawn watered for free?

Here are some of the lessons that rain is teaching me right now. Thank you, Lord, for the rain!

No Rain, No Gain

How often do we want to escape the difficult seasons in our lives?

We run from the storms because they make us uncomfortable, and the difficult times challenge our faith.

They make us question God and His presence in our lives.

But many times we want to avoid the rain, while still expecting the blessings of the rain.  The rainy seasons in life will produce the beauty we desire – if we will let it and trust God.

Rain Exposes Our Hearts

Oftentimes storms come into our lives and reveal areas in our hearts where we desperately need God’s help.

For example, the rain reveals our tendency to complain.

The rain clearly showed me that I was focused on the wrong thing. It revealed pride in me – always wanting my outward appearance to look good, when deep down what matters most is how I look inside. Man sees how we look on the outside, but God sees our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).

God knows just the right amount of rain to make our hearts and our character bloom.

The Sunny Side of Rain

As I shifted my thoughts from complaining to gratitude, I began to reflect on my own life and how God had brought me through some tough life storms.

Like the flowers in my yard, the rain in my life had also caused me to grow.

Being in the rainy seasons caused me to run towards God. I wanted the difficulty to be over, not realizing that it was working for my good.  If I had not gone through the rain, I would not have experienced or even recognized the faithfulness of God in my life.

The rainy days caused me to take shelter in the Word of God. In spending time in the Word, I gained the strength I needed to endure the storm.

So, What’s the Play Call?

As you go through your seasons of rain, look for God.  He reveals himself in small ways if we quiet ourselves long enough.  He works through every situation, no matter how small – even through tiny drops of rain.

I encourage you to let your umbrella down and recognize the blessings in the rain.