In fact, it was very cool and autumn-like. Those who know me best know that I love gray and rainy days, and these are the days I feel most creative. Funny, these are also the days I feel most like taking photographs. There’s something wonderful about cold gray days, especially (like this morning) when I’m making soup for our lunch. The rich beefy smells saturate the house like incense in a temple. I look out through our windows and see the wet streets and windblown leaves and I am content.
This rain seems especially blessed today. It’s not that we’ve been going through any particular drought, but… hey! At the beginning of the year we were in drought-like conditions from several years of too-dry summers and winters. Then several churches (including ours) sent out a call to pray for rain. This turned out to be the wettest and coolest summer on record! (Although there were hot days too)
I must stop my blog a minute and thank the Lord for answered prayer. Please join me in a prayer of thanksgiving:
Father, thank you for sending so much wonderful rain to this area of our country. It is so good of you to send the rains this year and we thank you for showers of blessings. Heavenly Father, we don’t deserve your goodness to us, but you love us whether we acknowledge you or not. Thank you for sending rain to those who love you and blessing those who don’t love you as well. Father, we know there are other states that still need blessings from heaven. Please send the rain to them as well. In Jesus Name Amen.
But rain isn’t always so well received. Sometimes we’re battered by terrible rain storms that are destructive and people have had to rebuild everything because of the rains and storms. These are seasons of disappointment and seasons we wonder where God is.
Those are the times when we must just hold on and trust no matter how difficult the times seem. God has not abandoned us like it feels like. He’s probably closer to us than we realize. It’s during those times when it’s important to tell him exactly how we feel. God can handle it and he wants us to be honest with him, even when it comes to asking him some really tough questions:
“Really God? You had to let her die?”
“I lost everything. Where are you?”
“Cancer?”
We all go through the storms of life and disappointments, but that doesn’t mean God is not with us. If we trust Him and hold tight to his hand He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us, and he loves keeping his promises.