Bring The Rain

Camp Manitoqua was my happy place. I spent weeks of several consecutive summers attending and then serving at summer camp. I still describe those experiences as heaven on earth. I distinctly remember one night sitting outside in a wooded area. I was leaning against a rock with my Bible open in my lap. This time alone with God was an important camp discipline. God met me there that night, His Word coming alive in my soul once again. As I sat there reading and praying, God opened the heavens and rain poured out of the sky. I lifted my head and stretched out my arms, welcoming the rain, and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to wash over me, powerfully reminding me of His presence and His faithfulness.

Fast forward nearly three decades. I found myself in a very sad place as I stood with my brother before my dad’s casket. This was a hard collision of heaven and earth. I knew Dad was in heaven, but I stood watching as his body was lowered into the earth. He was discovering the joy of heaven while I was enduring the pain of earth. There were no words to say. But in that moment, drops of rain from heaven began to lightly fall, almost as if God was weeping right along with us. He met me there that afternoon, twenty-eight years after that camp experience, again reminding me of His presence.

My brother has noticed that we’ve gotten a lot of rain in the months since our dad has passed, having more rainy Sundays than not; this a continuing reminder of grief and loss. But then I heard this: the Hebrew word “chesed” is likened to spring rain. And for centuries, the Jews regarded rain as a gift from God and considered it a symbol of life. I also discovered that this same word is used to describe the mercy of God and is often the word translated as God’s lovingkindness or faithfulness.

This is so like our God, isn’t it? He gives Himself to us in the happy places as well as the sad places, sometimes in gentle drops and other times in a downpour. He brings heaven to earth in the exact moments we need it. He pours out His Spirit as a gift and symbol of LIFE, not as a reminder of death. He rains down on us because He knows we need the rain in order to grow. He promises joy in the morning. And He even brings joy in the mourning. God is merciful, gracious, kind, and compassionate. God is faithful. He pours Himself over us as we celebrate and as we grieve.

So when the heavens open up and the rain begins to fall, just pause. Give yourself a moment. Lift your head, outstretch your arms, and welcome the rain. Ask God to shower you with His lovingkindness. Let yourself be drenched in the power and presence of God washing over you. Thank Him for His unending faithfulness. Invite Him to bring the rain.