Rain

By: Tony Griffies

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, ìInto each life some rain must fall.î How true. As a general rule, I don't care for rain. I don't knowóthere's just something a little depressing about the sky being gray, and the ground being drenched. I prefer it to be sunny with bright blue skies. But the fact is that, as long as there's an earth, there's going to be rain. No way around that. Rain can come at any time, with almost no warning. And isn't it wild to experience days when you wake up, see that it's absolutely gorgeous outside, hear the weather report say that by the afternoon it's going to be stormy, and you say to yourself, ìNo way! It couldn't possibly turn sour on a day like this!î But it happens. One minute it's gorgeous outside; the next minute lightening is popping all around and thunder seemingly shakes the very foundation of earth.

Such is the story of life. One minute it appears as though God Himself penned the glorious script that has unfolded all around you! The next minute a violent storm rises and shakes the very foundation of your faith. You find yourself drenched in the storm, feeling alone and scared. And in a gut-wrenching shriek, you cry out, ìWhat happened, God?î ìWhy is this happening to me?î ìWhere did You go?î ìHow could You have allowed this to happen to me?î

"Into each life, some rain must fall."

King David knew what it meant to feel this type of pain when he said, ìMy soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.î (PS 84:2) But in the midst of David's despair, moments of clarity came through. Listen to his words in Psalm 55 and verse 17. ìEvening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.î When we cry out to God in faith-shaken fear, God hears us.

It would almost be cruel if all God did was listen to your pleas for help, and did nothing. That's not God. No, your Father does not merely stand on the edge of your sanity and say from a distance, ìI hear you! I always hear you!î God does so much more. In the book of Deuteronomy, we see the compassion of the Creator for His children. In chapter one, Moses is leading the Israelites through the wilderness and on toward the land God promised. Upon reaching the hill country of the Amorites, the Israelites decide to send twelve spies out to do some reconnaissance. They discover that, although the land is indeed good, the inhabitants are too big and strong and their cities are all too fortified. The Israelites' collective faith in God is shattered. But Moses tries to remind them of how God has cared for them in times past. Verse 29 says, ìThen I said to you, ëDo not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt , before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.'"

God does more than simply listen to your cries for help. He wants you to know that He has carried you through previous storms, and he carries you now. You are not alone. You have not been left to fend for yourself. Imagine God scooping you up and holding you close to His chest. Instead of the pounding of thunder in your ears, you hear the calm, steady heartbeat of your Father as he carries you through your storm. Just as any good father would do anything to reassure his frightened child, God will do anything to reassure you.

So now I share a blessing with you that was shared with me. May you, when you're soaking wet, lost, hurting, and confused, may you cry out, may the creator of the universe pick you up, may he hold you tight up against his chest, may he wrap his eternal loving arms around you, and may you hear him whisper...

I love you

We're going to make it

Dad knows the way home

We're going to make it

I love you

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