Monday, September 19, 2011

Rainy Day




As I woke up this morning, I heard the gentle rush of the rain on the roof.  I looked outside and saw that the rain was really coming down.  There is something about rain that is soothing.  There is nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book on a rainy day.  Maybe even sleeping in as you enjoy the warmth of your bed and the sound of the rain cascading down the roof and pattering on your windows.  Unfortunately there is rarely the opportunity to do these things on rainy days especially on a weekday.  So I ate breakfast, got ready, and went to work.

Now my job is generally oriented outside so on rainy days I have to either find work to do in my barn, in the house, or don my rain suit and work outside despite the rain.  I honestly don't mind though.  I love rain.  I understand how important it truly is to the world we live in.  The flowers I plant can't survive without water and rain saves me from having to water them daily.  Water cleanses and renews the world as it washes away the pollutants all around.  A good rain helps to saturate the ground and every living plant drinks of the sustaining power and nutrients the water brings to them.  You can watch the cracks of the earth turn smooth again, the brown and crunchy grass turn green and plush again, the withering plant brought back to vibrancy again.  

My wife and I especially love thunderstorms.  We love to sit in our sunroom and watch the lightning streak across the sky.  There is nothing more beautiful than when lightning jumps from cloud to cloud branching out across the sky in a glorious display.  Have you ever seen the sparks left from a lightning strike a little to close for comfort or heard the electrical buzz?  It is incredible when a storm is right on top of you and you have to hold your ears to keep from shattering your eardrums in all the thunder's might and sound.  

I think the reason I love the rain and storms so much is because it is such a beautiful display of both God's power and provision.  Without water we would not be able to live.  Almost everything on this earth requires the life water gives to survive.  God in His infinite wisdom created a system where water could be picked up from one body of water and dropped in an area thousands of miles away.  My mind spins when I try to think of how God came up with each intricate system sustaining life on our planet.  

I truly understand respectful fear as I watch a severe storm pass over my house.  Though I will watch the storm, I understand the power it harnesses.  I understand its ability to end my life in an instant.  There are so many dangerous things that can be spawn from a storm including: flash floods, lightning, tornadoes, shear winds, and so much more.  I understand how delicate I truly am in a storm and rely on God's sovereignty to keep me on this earth as long as He pleases.  He has provided such spectacular evidence for who He is.  

So I am so thankful for a stormy rainy day.  It reminds me of my Lord.  It reminds me that one day I will get to be in His presence and hopefully even learn about each wonderful part of the world He created and why it exist.  It reminds me to be thankful for His provision and humbles me, as I understand that everything I receive is at His hand.  I hope that each day you will see the awesomeness and power of God around you.  My favorite picture of God is the Lion Aslan in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.  I love the dialogue found in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe where one of the children asks if Aslan is safe.    The dialogue continues as follows, 

'If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than me or else just silly.'

'Then he isn't safe?' asked Lucy. 

'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver. 'Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'

Our God isn't safe but oh he is so good. Psalm 33:8, "Let the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him."  We must never forget our place in relation to God.  He is the creator and we are the created.  He demands and deserves our respect and awe.  I hope next time you have a rainy stormy day you remember this and worship Him. 

Blessings,

Greg    

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