Rain…

Ahhh, rain…

Does it just seem strange to some people that I love the rain? Sometimes it even seems strange to me…

The rain is so refreshing to me…I welcome it any time of the year, but particularly in the summer.

Most of my memories of rain as a little girl in Idaho involve the dusty ground. The fine, dry dirt that was SO much fun to walk in would seem to repel each raindrop. No matter how hard the water droplets fell, when it struck the ground, it wouldn’t absorb into the warm earth, it would just create a small cloud of dust with each hit that would dissipate quickly. I remember playing in the dirt and trying to absorb that water into the dirt, but it just never seemed to mix.

Observations: [Rain IS typically viewed as a negative element, especially when used symbolically in relation to our lives, so I choose to use it that way in this example.] Thinking back, the rain storms from when I was growing up were usually preceded with dark, billowy clouds and noisy claps of thunder. It was a race to get indoors before the violent drops began. My fear would win out and I would retreat. Then I’d watch it from a safe distance…knowing that the window would keep me dry and my house would keep me warm. Of course, living in a hot climate, there was always the comforting, refreshing scent of the pavement after the rain. The earthy aroma that just seemed to bring me back to nature.

It’s now, as an adult, that I recognize the power of those moments in light of my Christianity. How many times, as Christians, are we so on fire from the Son (sun) that our warmth alone repels the drops of rain that enter into our lives? I cant say that it’s the case with me. I can see the analogy’s significance in my life. To be so on fire for God that the rain that falls cannot disturb or even begin to mix into our very being. It simply creates a tiny puff of dust and pools to the side…waiting to dissipate. The rain drop’s force and velocity of falling to the earth from perhaps miles above is simply resisted…just like that…putting all of the “intentions” (if you will) to shame.

Satan’s attacks on us can sometimes be seen coming at us. They can seem like they will have the impact of a freight train barrelling directly toward us…but Christ’s power in us is strong enough to repel even that. It is the same as that small sample of dirt, which, if warmed enough from the sun (Son), resists the full force of any attempt on Satan’s part to enter our lives in a way as small as a raindrop. Oh, to be that kind of Christian is my desire.

There is, however, another perspective of rain to me…and that is the cleansing power. A couple years ago, I became obsessed with caring for my lawn, which is huge, so it is no small task. I began alternating through the cycles of fertilizing, watering precisely, feeding, etc… It was also during this time that I read something that talked about the value of the rain. The rain brings elements in the air down into the ground which feeds the grass. It isn’t necessarily just the water itself that encourages growth.

So, when our lives get cluttered with busy-ness and polluted with contaminants, a rainfall should be a welcome sight. Sure, the fear tends to win us over, but once we’re in a shelter, we recognize the safety and cleansing that the rain can bring. God is that shelter and He provides the cleansing. Maybe we’re afraid in the noises and darkened clouds that come first and threaten us, but once we run to Him, we’re given a different perspective of it all. And to be able to recline and know that the sweet aroma of His presence awaits us once the storm is over and the growth that WILL follow is truly a precious gift.

So, now I have grown to love the rain and welcome it. Even when I feel soaked to the core and miserably cold, I know what Shelter I have been given…and it’s better than any umbrella that is sold. Oh, and let’s not forget the rainbow that follows…

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.