Hope in the Rain

 

Rain is a gift from God.  It waters our crops, makes our grass a lush green, and fills our rivers and lakes.  Lately, in New England, it seems that this is the ‘gift that keeps on giving’.    Especially on the weekends!  Either one or both days of the weekend seems to have drowned out plans for many folks.  Yesterday, I watched our neighbor prepare for a graduation party for her son.  He was the last to graduate high school and she put up the balloons, put out the tablecloths and even put up a tent in case it rained.  As I watched people huddle underneath the tent to gain cover from the pelting rain, it wasn’t long before people were running to their cars to go home.  Plans ruined.

There have been many times in my life where I felt as if I was in constant rain.  Circumstances around me seemed to be constantly drowning out the life I was trying to lead.  Difficulties led to a feeling of pelting rain beating against me.  Although I could see good things around me like the lush grass, I wasn’t receiving much goodness.  The sun wasn’t shining on me, and the weight of non-stop rain led me to look at the negative in everything.  Hope seemed far away.

Hope may have left my heart, but God never did.  He was there, through all the rain.  As I focused on each piece of my life that was going wrong, He was focusing on me – helping me to grow, to learn, to re-direct my life in a way I never would have gone without his intervention.  As the rain was pouring down on me, he was preparing me for the sun.  The sun eventually did shine, brighter than I could ever imagine.  I refer to that time in my life as my “Noah” phase.  The rain came down and flooded me, but God stopped the rain and just like the second time Noah sent out the dove and it didn’t return, hope came.

Friends, I’m not sure if you are in a Noah phase of your life.  Does it feel like the life you are living is filled with clouds and darkness?  Do you feel as if the circumstances of this world are drowning you?  Rest assured that God is with you, caring for you, shaping you, preparing you for the day the sun will come again.  He is there through the rain and is your ark of hope.  Turn to Him for safety.   Know that these days of rain will lead to sunshine – brighter than you could ever imagine.

For those of us living in our sunshine?  Let’s reach out a hand to those who are in their Noah phase.  Grab a cup of coffee and listen.  Make a meal and lighten the load.  Send a note of hope.  Be the sunshine on someone’s cloudy day.  God created us to do good for others.  Take the step of goodness.  It may be the ray of sun that person needs to gain hope!

 Heavenly Father, may we always remember you are there during our ‘rainy season’.  Help us to turn to you for hope, for peace, for safety during these seasons of our lives.  May we know that the sun will come and all the shaping you did to us during the rain will help us to shine brighter.  In your name we pray, Amen!