(Originally published 4/28/14)
“Rain, rain, go away…
Come again another day…”
I’ll begin today with a little disclaimer: I am one of the worst complainers I know. Much as it pains me to say so, one of my greatest weaknesses, as a highly analytical and critically-minded person, is my propensity to spout negativity over a lot of things. So when I use generalities in today’s blog message, or throw out a few “we” pronouns, please know that I wrote this first and foremost for my own sake, and to preach to myself as chief of sinners in this regard.
There are few things that can get Midwesterners down in the early spring months like a good, long, dreary week of mostly rainy days. Such a one is in my local forecast right now, starting with today. It’s as if we feel like there’s some injustice in this “wetter” form of precipitation after we’ve endured another long, harsh, biting winter season. Where I live in Wisconsin, many of the folks who’ve lived here a while will readily tell you this winter past was one of the harshest they can remember since – well, probably before I was alive. So, for winter to finally be done, only to be followed by a very rainy spring (as is so often the case), seems like punishment from above.
Maybe that condemning and melodramatic analysis of rainy weather is more facetious than anything else, and it’s probably not true that many people really feel deep-seated anger over rain. But it’s worth dissecting the prevalent sentiment of being ungrateful or bummed about rainy days. After all, to just say in passing “Oh, I know rain’s not actually so bad” doesn’t do enough to eradicate the all-too-common, knee-jerk nature of this negative reaction. Let’s face it: Our default position about seeing rain in the forecast, or to waking up to an unexpected rainy day, is almost always one of ire. So let’s meditate on it a little more, and come up with a better reaction to start from.
The anger or indignance reaction to rainy days is really just not rational, when it comes down to it. Negative reactions are really only justified, in theory, with stimuli that are inherently…well, negative. To have an indignant reaction to bad news, like another crime in your neighborhood, or selfish and reckless behavior by drivers on the road you’re traveling, is understandable (though God asks us to still process even all of this with a better mindset, with forbearance for our fellow man, and with an eternal perspective that “God works out everything for the good of those who love Him.” – Romans 8:28).
But should such a negative reaction be assigned to rain? Is rain inherently bad? Does it deserve our ire and indignance? Absolutely not!!
Let’s look at rain through the eyes of our Maker, who, by the way, sends that rain.
It’s the Scripturally inspired conjecture of some theologians and Christian historians that, prior to the great flood that Noah’s family and a pair of each species of animal survived, there may have never been rain on Earth.
“6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day”. (Genesis 1:6-8)
Since the flood, though, when that conjectured canopy of water above was released in the worldwide deluge, it would seem that rain has been an historical reality for all recorded time. So, it’s always been God’s tool for watering His creation, His handiwork. Just as I tell my sons when they ask why it’s raining against their window while we drive in the car, “It’s raining because God wants to water the grass and trees and farm fields today!” Funny how the explanations we have available to use to teach our children are always the positive ones – the ones that reveal the truth, and the right way to view God’s world.
Safe to say we can all agree that, if God sends the rain, and God is good, then rain is good. Even to the atheist, who says rain is merely a meterological byproduct that just so happens to result in catalyzing soil nutrients and aiding photosynthesis, it’s inescapable that rain waters the earth. Research what took place in the infamous Dust Bowl in America’s 20th century history, or the “Dirty Thirties,” as some called it. Ask anyone who lived through those awful years of drought in the bread basket of our country, and they’ll tell you just how important and vital rain is, coming from the knowledge of how destructive its absence can be.
If rain is good, how could we complain about it?
When those water drops fall, God Almighty is doing right by mankind. It might not be as easy to keep that perspective when it falls in such massive quantities that it turns to flooding and washes out crop fields. But nothing can change that rain itself has intrinsic positive value, and the Lord deserves our praise and thanks for every rainy day.
Ok, so rain is a good thing. Why am I going on about this point? Because, my friends, isn’t the same true about the proverbial rains of life?
Each of us has endured our share of storms. Each of us has lived through the days, weeks, or even years of life when it was impossible not to feel like a personal thunderstorm cloud was following us around and wouldn’t let up. Just as it’s hard to feel like we can enjoy the parade, the softball game, the weekend cookout, or the camping trip when it’s torrentially downpouring on us, so too is it hard to remember invaluable Bible passages like the aforementioned Romans 8:28, or other passages that explain God’s unending goodness, when cancer strikes the home, or a pink slip is handed out, or a vehicle breaks down, or a spouse divorces you. The temporary, circumstantial discomfort of the downpour cannot change the fact that vegetation will still grow from it. Without the growth of crops, grass, and trees, we can’t eat, feed our livestock, receive shade from blistering summer heat, etc…the list of ramifications is endless. Rain creates life.
When my Heavenly Father allows life events to bring rain pouring on top of me at various times, all he is doing is watering my seeds of faith. If those seeds of faith can’t sprout to bring on more vegetation of maturity or the shade of spiritual growth, I’ll die inside.
Rain droplets will undoubtedly fall from the sky. Only I can choose my attitude about that. May my default reaction be trained by the truth of the Spirit into one of deep gratitude, that God, in that very moment, is blessing me and my fellow citizens.
When those metaphorically rainy times sweep through my life too, and drench me in pain, sorrow, confusion, disbelief, or temptation, I can remember that my sin and the demise of my fallen world that taints my view of those things does not remove the truth – that God will use that rain storm to help me grow. He yearns for those rains to grow a massive, verdant, beautiful garden of mature faith in me, so I can walk step in step alongside my Savior, Jesus.
So bring on the rain. I will keep my mind right about the weather of life, and I’ll just keep the galoshes ready by the door. God is good, all the time.
Especially when it rains.
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