Can't Stop the Rain

CAN’T STOP the RAIN

As a child growing up on Midwest plains, I was always happy when it rained. To my mother’s dismay, that also included stomping through muddle puddles. It was fine if I had on my rubber boots. But one rainy day created an indelible memory.

As a first grader, I was walking home from school when it started to rain. I was so happy at seeing a big muddy puddle, that I actually sat down in it. I had great fun splashing the water around . . . until mom saw me.

She was extremely upset and brought me inside the house. While changing clothes I got the clear message NOT to do that again! But mom used a real clincher to make her point. She sent me to bed without supper.

That was a first! Mud puddle fascination disappeared on my empty stomach. But it didn’t destroy my joy of rain.

More Rain

In adult years we moved to the coast of northwest Washington. As a newbie, I decided to enjoy a walk in light misty rain. Even with an umbrella I got chilled to the bone. I looked forward to home and a nice hot shower.

Here in northern Arizona, I’m presented with another type of rain. Flashes of lightning and pounding thunder are preludes to cloud bursts. I own umbrellas, but at this stage of life I prefer to wait it out. Cloudbursts are many, but they don’t last long.

A Rainy Day Song

I used to enjoy B.J. Thomas singing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.”* The melody and rhythm were catchy, though I never caught all the words.

I recently looked up the lyrics and enjoyed the story line. First, the guy acknowledges that annoying raindrops are falling on his head. Then he decides not to get the blues.

He doesn’t believe you can stop the rain by crying over it or complaining about it. So, he chooses to stay positive and believe for a happier (dry) day. With that attitude, he’s free to enjoy life in spite of the rain.

Rain . . . Now What?

I was thinking about the old platitude “into each life some rain must fall.” Rain seems to be a code for troubles, with many variations. Have you ever truly known a person who lives a totally trouble-free life?

Jesus even told his disciples they would have many trials and sorrows on earth. He also gave words of encouragement with no exclusions.

First, He said, Peace is available in Me.” Second, He said, “Take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33NLT). After being crucified, God raised Him from the dead on the third day. What could be more powerfully overcoming than that?

We can't stop the rain, no matter how it comes. But we can decide how to respond to it.

*Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.

Raindrops and Gully Washers

RAINDROPS and GULLY WASHERS

"More rain! We haven't had a summer like this for a while." I stared out my kitchen window. Raindrops were bouncing up from the pavement as if they were ping pong balls while water flowed furiously down the street.

Most of my life has been lived in areas with limited amounts of rain. Washington state was the first place I remember as having such hard rain that my windshield wipers couldn't keep up. But the rains I have seen this summer in northern Arizona run a close second.

It's monsoon season. I've learned that the day can start out sunny and calm, but by afternoon or early evening dark clouds will gather, thunder will rumble and lightening flash.  We live on a mountain and sometimes all this seems a little too close, too bright and too loud.

RAINDROPS AND GULLY WASHERS

When I was a child in the Midwest, I liked to play in the rain. Gentle rains created happy memories. But here I have learned to expect cloudbursts. I try to carry an umbrella with me, but I've learned to be patient with the rain. Cloudbursts explode and drench things in water quickly, then move on. I rarely use an umbrella.

The term "gully washers" has come to life as I see hillsides full of small crevices where water has washed the dirt downhill. Many of our streets have dirt compacted at the bottom of the hill. Street crews try to clear it away, but with daily rains, it's hard to keep up.

Before the monsoons came, we had a major fire in the area that burned for a couple of weeks and destroyed thousands of acres. Rain would have been welcome then, but rain should be welcome anytime. Whenever I think I wish this rainy season would end, I remind myself that many areas would love to deal with the rain I'm wishing away. 

Schools don't wait long to teach children about the rain cycle. What amazes me is that it is mentioned in the Book of Job, an ancient work. One of Job's comforters, Elihu, talks about the wonders of nature that show God's power and majesty.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE

Check out Job 36:27-30 in the Bible of your choice, but The Message shares an interesting word picture: "He pulls water up out of the sea, distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns. Then the skies open up and pour out soaking showers on everyone."

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Noah and his family to endure rain for forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7:12). It makes my afternoon monsoons seem quite puny. But whether it's gentle rain drops or powerful gully washers, moisture is important to the earth and has its place in the four seasons.

Science can explain a lot, but no man is in charge of the rain cycle. In the next big storm, I need to remember to act on Elihu's practical advice to "stop and consider God's wonders" (Job 37:14).