Tag: springtime

Praying for Rain

Spring has arrived.  In my part of the world, that means many people are hoping for milder temperatures, gentle spring rains, and new growth after the cold and colorless winter.  Most of us love the idea of spring, and the promise it brings.  Those soft days of baby birds chirping outside our window as the gentle raindrops roll down; of newly budded trees and flowers opening to the warmth of the sun; the smell of freshly turned earth in gardens and fields; the bleating of lambs and the down of chicks and ducklings; children squealing in delight as they leap from puddle to puddle in their colorful boots; the world slowly waking up in a thousand shades of green..

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Of course, it never seems to go exactly like that– sometimes the weather this time of year can be volatile– tornadoes, freak ice storms, sudden heat waves, flooding, or a mix of all of the above in a matter of hours!  Chirping birds can’t be heard over the roar of traffic and blaring car radios.  The smell of exhaust chokes out the aroma of rich dirt or fresh flowers.  The same rain that brings puddles also brings mud and run-off and potholes in the road.  And, possibly because we have such expectations of spring, it seems to fly by and disappear almost before it comes.  There is a joke that sort of summarizes the unpredictable nature of spring around here– “I love spring in Michigan (or insert another Midwest state)– last year it was on a Wednesday!”

Like the season of spring, prayer holds promise and expectation.  God promises to hear our prayers, but sometimes our expectations are not in line with God’s answers.  Farmers pray for dry days to plow and plant, and rain to come before and after to soften the earth and water the seeds.  Little League players want the rain to come on Monday, and the diamond to be dry by Saturday.  School children want the rain to come overnight, so the playground will be dry for recess.  Commuters want the rain to fall after they drive to work and before they have to drive home.  All may pray for rain, but not in the same way, for the same reasons, or at the same time.

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We all want the promise of easy growth, gentle weather, and comfortable routine.  But God’s plan may involve blustery days and muddy driveways.  God will bring rain, and sunshine, in his time.  He will calm the storms and blow away the clouds.  He will send us flowers and rainbows, and perfect days for flying kites and playing baseball.  And maybe, this year, it will be on Wednesday!  But the stormy days remind us of three things:

  • God is with us through the storm.  He is with us when the rains come; and when the clouds roll back to reveal the rainbow.  He knows the pain you feel when you view the storm damage and assess the loss.  Even as the seasons change, he has promised to be with us always
  • God is stronger than our storms.  His ways are wiser than ours, and his plans are better.  We may be drenched and covered in mud when we expected to be dry and comfortable, but the race isn’t finished yet.  We may fall down, but we’re not out!  He can give us the resources and the power to rebuild, renew, and start over.  No matter how short (or long) our season of storms, it is only a season– it will pass.  Just as winter gave way to spring, spring leads to summer–sometimes overnight; sometimes in fits and starts.
  • God is eternal.  Storms and seasons are local and temporary.  I may be experiencing spring in Michigan, but others are experiencing rainy season in India, or “fall” in New Zealand.  It can be sunny here, and snowing in Minnesota, and raining at my cousin’s house in Alabama.  And when I am praying for rain, someone close by is praying for sunshine.  But someday, and for all eternity, God will be our source of light– there will be no need for storms and seasons, no need to pray for rain.

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Summer and Winter, and Springtime and Harvest

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; thy compassions, they fail not–
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above:
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness;
Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided:
Great is Thy faithfulness, LORD unto me.

According to the calendar, it is spring in Michigan right now. But we’ve experienced nearly all four seasons in the past two weeks! Some days were mild and sunny, others were rainy, windy, chilly, and a couple of days were even blustery with snow and sleet! Flowers have started popping up, birds have been chirping, even as the snow flies! My hall tree is covered in jackets, winter coats, hats, scarves, and caps. A few days, I’ve been in short shirt sleeves and sunglasses; the next days, I’ve needed a coat, hat, and gloves!

But even in days of chaotic weather, God is faithful! Even when I can’t decide what to wear, God is with me. If it should suddenly snow in June (and that HAS happened in Michigan before), God will not abandon me. Just as each day brings its own weather, each day brings God’s blessings.

Some days those blessings may include sunshine and bird song. Other days may include a much-needed hug from a friend, or a shoulder to cry on. Some days will bring both joy and sorrow, with God in the center of each. Each raindrop, each chattering squirrel, each beam of sunlight– all testify to God’s enduring presence. Each bud on the tree, each new tadpole, each wildflower in the forest, remind me that God is faithful to bring new life out of even the dead of winter.

Spring is a wonderful time to reflect on the goodness of God, and His wisdom in creating seasons– wet, dry, cold, hot, restful, chaotic– God is master of all the seasons, and all the days of our lives. And that is a bright thought, no matter what the weather brings today!


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A Mighty Wind

It’s been very windy here lately. Even when the sun is shining, the wind still makes it feel like winter (which, technically, it still is)! I don’t know that I have ever bothered to thank God for wind. After all, most of the time, we think of wind as being destructive–tornados, hurricanes, typhoons–winds tend to blow things over, knock things down, and they are often accompanied by water in the form of rain, waves, or hail.

Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com

God created wind. He uses it for many good purposes that we may ignore or take for granted:

  • God used winds to dry up the waters after the great flood. (see Genesis 8:1)
  • God used a strong wind to blow locusts into Egypt as one of the plagues demonstrating His power to Pharaoh. He used another strong wind to blow them back out of the land and into the Red Sea. (see Exodus 10: 13-19)
  • God used a mighty wind to blow on the Red Sea, dividing the waters and allowing the Israelites to escape from the Egyptian army that pursued them. (Exodus 14)
Photo by Ricardo Esquivel on Pexels.com

  • God used a wind to blow thousands of quail into the Israelite camp, providing so much meat that they got sick from it! (Numbers 11)
  • God often demonstrates His power, authority, and judgment through wind. (see Amos 4:13; Psalm 78:26; Jeremiah 10:13; Jonah 1 and 4; etc.)
  • God sent His Holy Sprit on Pentecost with a sound like a mighty rushing wind (Acts 2:2)
Photo by BARBARA RIBEIRO on Pexels.com

Wind moves things. Without at least some wind, the air becomes stagnant, wind-borne seeds cannot find a home, and flying creatures must work harder to stay aloft. Wind can act as a cleanser, blowing away dead leaves and dust so that new growth can occur. Wind moves the waters– from gentle ripples to white-capped waves–pushing along the boats and ships over lakes and seas. Wind bears clouds and brings gentle rains and shade from the harsh sun. Wind can be directed for power in windmills and wind tunnels. Wind can even “sing” as it whistles through bare tree branches or moves wind chimes.

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

One of the most unusual uses of wind in the Bible happened to the great prophet Elijah. In 1Kings19:11, God told Elijah to stand on the mountain. Elijah had fled for his life from the wrath of Jezebel and Ahab. He was discouraged to the point of death. God sent a strong and destructive wind, but His presence wasn’t in it. He sent an earthquake, but His presence wasn’t in that, either. Finally, in the stillness, God appeared to Elijah and gave him a message of hope and encouragement. Sometimes, the winds come, not as a judgment, not as a message, but as a signal that God wants us to be still. HE is the mover; HE is the wind– but He is also in the middle of the stillness, if we are ready to listen!

Photo by John Diez on Pexels.com

I don’t know that I have ever bothered to thank God for wind. I take it for granted when it is gentle, and I dislike it when it is destructive– even when it just musses my hair or makes me shiver on an otherwise sunny day. But today, I thank God that He has the power, wisdom, and authority to use wind for His purposes. May He blow away all that is old and stagnant in my life, and move me to see His power at work in the world around me today. Thank You, God!

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Bloom Where You Are Planted

I love living in Southwest Lower Michigan– especially in the spring.  We have blossoms everywhere– apple blossoms, cherry blossoms, dogwood, red buds, tulips and irises, hyacinth and daffodils.  The rich earthy smell of freshly plowed gardens and fields permeates the air, and rides on the breezes coming off Lake Michigan.  Birds, newly returned from their winter wanderings are busily building nests, chirping away, while the sun’s rays chase away the last of the winter chill each morning.  There is color and new life everywhere you turn.

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We have a lot of spring festivals in the area, most of them centered on the blooms and blossoms that fill the countryside.  Gardens, orchards and fields are not just for show around here– they are also important parts of our economy and eco-system.  Without a good spring full of blossoms, buds, and blooms, we may have a disastrous harvest in the fall, and run-off of the soil; bees will die off, wild and domestic animals will have less grass and fewer berries to eat.  A late spring can shorten the growing season and shrink the harvest; an early spring can bring buds out too soon, only to have them lost to a late season frost or to have them mature too early and be burned in a mid-summer drought.

And yet, I have seen crocuses burst through two inches of snow; buds that defy harsh weather and cruel winds.  I have seen daffodils blooming where there once was a house and a yard, but now there are only brambles and foundation stones.  I have seen trees twisted and split by long-ago storms– one side dead and rotting, but with buds and new branches on the other side.

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It is easy to bloom when you are in a lovely flower bed, with tilled earth, fertilizer, gentle rains, just the right amount of sun, and protection from the winds and pests and birds.  But it is more spectacular to bloom in the desert; to defy the odds and stand in stark contrast to brambles, a broken-up sidewalk, or a litter-filled back alley; to bloom in the snow and sleet or weather a flood or a tornado.

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Not always so with prayer.  Sometimes, it is easier to pray when we feel our own needs and shortcomings; when we are driven by our circumstances to call out for help.  When all is well, we may be grateful, but we may also begin to slack off.  We stop asking for wisdom and guidance, coasting in the beauty and ease of a good life, and forgetting that the beauty and the ease– indeed the life itself– is not our right, but a gift.  Amid so many other beautiful prayers, ours seem drab and ordinary, almost unworthy of God’s notice.

But God DOES notice– he has placed each of us where he wants us to bloom and grow– to pray, to fellowship, to walk with other believers and give off the fragrance of His grace as we live our lives in obedience to Him.  Have you been planted in an apartment complex?  Have you been planted as a suddenly single parent of three kids?  Have you been planted on a campus?  In a group of friends that all have Harleys?  Or one block from a rescue mission or homeless shelter?  A classroom full of high-energy first-graders?  A community that has had a lot of crime and blight?

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God has not placed you in circumstances to reward or punish you, but to grow you in the soil that can produce the best harvest.  Is your prayer list filled with needy people who live in turmoil and rebellion?  Bloom where you are planted– you may be the only person praying for your cantankerous neighbor– the only raindrop or fertile soil s/he will ever encounter.  Has God placed you in a family of people who taunt you for your faith?  Bloom where you are planted– pray for strength to stand firm in the beauty of meekness and compassion in the face of their taunts and disdain.  Are you in a greenhouse full of self-righteous orchids making you feel dowdy and wilted by comparison?  Bloom where you are planted– pray for God’s eyes to see the beauty in yourself, as well as those around you, and stop trying to be an orchid where God needs a lily.

Has God planted you in trying circumstances?  Bloom where you are planted– pray for God’s Peace as you face each day:

Matthew 6:25-34 English Standard Version (ESV)

Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. * 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.*

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

*Emphasis added

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