The
other day I was walking outside and it started to rain. It made the air smell
fresh and clean. As the dirt washed off of the sidewalk, it made me think of
renewal and cleansing in life in general. My mind wandered. A good rain is
helpful for watering our plants and even cleaning our cars. But then I got to
thinking, could rain be the Father’s way of offering us cleansing and renewal…a
washing away of sins, a starting over…getting the muck out of our lives?
As
rain falls from the sky, I wonder…could this be a symbol of the Father’s love?
Could He be pouring His love out on to us and into our dry hearts? I like this
idea and kind of let my imagination run with it…and it hits me, rain draws us
back to Christ’s death on the Cross. Why? Because that is the ultimate
outpouring! It is through the wounds and suffering of Christ, His only Son,
that our Father reaches out to us. Through this, he speaks His love for us,
allowing us the opportunity to be His adopted children.
So,
how do we deal with this outpouring of love? How do we deal with the Cross? Do
we take cover and put up an umbrella to ‘protect’ ourselves from it, or do we
embrace the Cross and allow His love to rain in our lives and change us?
And,
if rain recalls the Crucifixion, what of drought? These dry times, though
painful and confusing, allow us to feel our need, our hunger for our Father. As
we go through dry times, we have to reach for Him from even deeper within which
draws us closer to Him.
What
of floods? Too much of the Father’s love? Is that possible?! How could His love
cause such destruction? Floods cause
devastation at times, though they still involve rain…perhaps a flood is,
metaphorically speaking, our Father showing us what happens when we misuse
love… when it is not love but lust or jealousy that guides our actions. hat has
a tinge of love to it, becomes twisted and causes damage.
Finally,
think about how different children and adults react to rain. Children, play in
it and splash around. Adults run from it and try not to get wet. Can’t this be
how we deal with our Father? When we are children, we seem to see Him clearer
and just want to be with Him. However, as we get older, life gets complicated
and we become more sophisticated and too busy.
The
saying goes, ‘into each life a little rain must fall.’ Maybe this is a good
thing. Rain has the potential to mess up a day and make it difficult to drive. However,
it could also be a nudge from the Father to remind us that we are not alone and
that He loves us so very much. So, the next time He lets it rain, maybe we
should just once toss the umbrella aside and go outside to dance in His love,
to soak it in…let ourselves get drenched to the core.
