The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:9-10)
“It’s the perfect day, Mom,” Isaiah says.
We’re on the patio. It’s a Sunday, after church. Lonny’s at the grill. They younger boys dart and dash over spring-green grass. The older boys are here, too, gathered around patio tables that are fresh from the shed.
And the sun warms us from the outside in.
We’ve no sooner finished our lunch, though, when the air changes. The breath of summer has changed to an edgy breeze. The sky colors dark. Clouds roll in. Soon we’re grabbing bowls of fruit and potato salad, and we’re bolting for the porch.
And the rain comes. Hard. Pelting over a setting that was moments ago serene.
The little boys and I stand in the window and watch the water wash our world. It hits the window and gushes through gutters. It puddles and pools in the low parts of the yard.
And I hear a few words, in my spirit, as the rain comes down.
God is good. He is present and powerful and good in the rain.
I think about this for a minute, and I understand how this is true of the Lord and how He works in my life. It’s easy to say “God is good” when the sun in on our shoulders. When we have what seek as blessing. When things are going well. We get the job that we want. The car we’ve longed for. When our children succeed, and all is going according to plan.
But the Lord, I’ve seen, is mightily present in life’s rain.
He’s there in the center of the times when clouds roll in and cover and cast darkness over our plans. When a circumstance takes a downturn and we find ourselves standing somewhere we’d never want to be. When sun turns to struggle and strife.
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ladies at a local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting. They’d invited me to share about a time, three years almost to the day, when my oldest son was trapped in the underground tunnel of a cave. There were more than 20 hours of darkness. For him. For me. But when I think back, the thing I remember the most about it all, was the sweet, sovereign presence of the Lord.
He is good. He is good when things are dark. He is good when life brings rain.
I think it may be possible that during these times, we’re most keen to His Presence. When our arms and hearts and minds are open wide because we’re spiritually heightened–completely aware that He is all that we have and He is enough.
The boys and I watch the rain for a few minutes. There won’t be any more playing outside today. But the ground is being nourished. God is providing. Preparing.
Oh Lord, thank you for being present in the rain.
