Welcome to Facets, friend! This month we’re been thinking about April showers bringing next month’s flowers. Never mind that we may get measurable snow in our area this week. (More than a month later, I still want to have that conversation with a certain groundhog!) You can find Tracy’s post here. Kim will follow up next week, and we’ll introduce our guest the next. Check back each week; better yet, subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.
When the question “What helps you sing in April showers?” was posed, a string of questions formed in my (Jennifer) mind. The Bible talks about rain: flooding rain from the heavens in Noah’s day, seasonal rains that grew and blessed a harvest, and droughts when the rains didn’t come. I immediately realized the purpose of the rain and what it’s made of matters.
When It Rains…
I’m attentive to flows of events. We’ve all heard “Things always come in threes” and “When it rains, it pours.”¹ Somewhere in life, I learned a cause-effect-connect-the-dots mentality and saw connections as raining either positively or negatively. Overlay that with either a warped or biblical spiritual perspective, and it gets interesting. A mist is one thing; a downpour is different. We want to know who sends the rain—or who allows it? The answer to that, on the spiritual level, says more about the One who knows all things than the things.
Naming the Raindrops…
Perspective is everything. When “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head, that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red…”² Rain comes, and it’s important to define what it’s made of. I name the drops, but sometimes I’m tuned in to one kind.
I’ve been blessed financially, the work is coming in, I’ve found the perfect car, and a friend checked in to see how I’m doing today. (How am I doing? Great, obvs!)
In another moment I reflect on long drives to see cars that were “incredible,” definitely not worth my time or gas; the second, expensive silicon ring I’ve lost; the messy piles that gather when I’m working so much; and a schedule I constructed (with a shoehorn). How am I doing then? (Ugh! It’s raining, and I don’t have my muck boots.)
This is the little stuff on the Doppler, too, practically a mist. The really big, painful drops that hit in the middle of a storm aren’t funny—they can be overwhelming!
The Pressure—of a Name…
When I’m naming raindrops, it’s important to gain a little perspective. Counting blessings is ever-so-much easier than seeming curses. It’s not that we walk through difficult times; we all will—it’s Who we walk with!
But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you Isaiah 43:1-2b
The fear I identify with sad or harsh rain is drenched in felt-safety, needs and wants, intimate connection to God and others, duration of the trouble, and the pain of sorting out the past, present, and future.
But, God...
I remember circumstances may be real obstacles, the emotions valid—but God. The God-lover following Jesus is redeemed! He calls her by name; knowing everything about her, noticing every detail, and caring about each one. When the waters rise, He is with her; she will not be overwhelmed. That language is a promise, and He doesn’t speak fragile, insignificant words.
Like a thick cloud, I wipe away your offenses; like a cloud, your sins. Come back to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22 CJB
The dark rain with my own name swirling though every drop.
He saved them from hostile hands, redeemed them from the power of the foe. Psalm 106:10 CJB
The stinging, pelting drops I never wanted.
Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14 NLT
The rain of blessing rooted in love, bringing the gift of a Counselor and, ultimately, eternal life.
Sheltering in Place…
Whether it mists or pours, we have a safe place to shelter with the One who loves and protects, the One who is our victory in the storm. He delivers us from the worst—the sin that separates us, darkness that overshadows our hearts, harm that threatens our present and future, the loneliness in the storm.
You are a hiding-place for me, you will keep me from distress; you will surround me with songs of deliverance. (Selah) Psalm 32:7 CJB
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 ESV
Our safe “umbrella” in the rain is under the protection of our very big God who speaks unbreakable promise words: “redeemed…blessing…promised Holy Spirit…songs of deliverance…hiding place…perfect peace.” These words help me sing in the rain and puddle-jump.
What helps you sing in the rain? I really want to know. Comment below or at our Facebook Page. Know someone who might be encouraged by Facets of Faith? Share away!
Thanks for reading. Love ya’!
¹ Morton Salt Company. Motto. 1914.
² Bacharach, Burt & Hal David. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. 1969.
Scripture sourced from biblestudytools.com.
