I have been sitting here staring at a blank page for about 10 minutes trying to find the words to say what I feel right now. It is funny I hear them in my head but will not make the journey from my mind, to my hands, to the keyboard, and on to this screen. I have a million emotions flowing right now and I guess words cannot effectively describe them. So, why am I sitting here…writing is therapeutic for me…
Close your eyes and imagine this…
A bright beautiful day in a matter of moments turns grey and drizzly. The clear blue that once blanketed the sky slowly, cloud by cloud turns gloomy. It is dark. The boiling clouds obliterate any hope of sunlight. Lighting flashes illuminating the sky, imposing its light on its surroundings. Lightning flashes again and the tempo of the falling rain increases. The wind starts blowing the leaves began to rustle, the birds stop singing, and the crickets have taken cover. Right on cue, raindrops began splattering hard and fast against the sidewalk, you watch as the once joyfully playing kids make mad dashes for cover from the impromptu shower. The rain then begins pounding harder and harder; the sudden onslaught almost floods the roads. The concert of thunder and lighting now replace the laughter of the children, the song of the birds, and the chirp of the crickets. You hear the roar of the thunder chased the occasional brilliance lightning’s electric dance. The rain drums loudly; on the roof, bounding across the shingles; onto the potted plant sitting on your stoop. The wind whispering only at intervals, content in it is howling. There is indeed a storm raging.
The trees and bushes are bent double from the pounding of the water rushing from above and the wind whipping through their limbs. Visible sheets of falling water move across the yard. You can barely even see the neighbors’ houses, or the cars sitting on the streets. But, in the distance, you see a lone individual decked in the brightest yellow rain gear you have ever seen. Rain hat, galoshes, and coat slowly this figure is approaching almost in slow motion. Intrigued you stand, tilt your head to the side, and just watch wondering. You step off the porch just a little to get a better look you are dampened from mist blowing through. You take one more step and you are quickly covered in a sheen of cold moisture, and shiver, but never take your eyes off the yellow.
Then you notice that the rain had slowed, but the sky was still dark grey. As quickly as the storm came, it is gone. The sunlight is progressively returning, but still the figure is walking. A journey that seemingly takes moments seems to take hours. Slow and steady is the pace. You watch but the whole time you are wondering. You close your eyes for a brief moment, and then open them and the figure is gone. You turn look left, right and still no figure. You go on about your tasks still wondering about the figure. A few hours pass you head back out for some fresh air and there again it the figure still dressed in its rain gear. You glance around, no rain, no thunder, no lighting, not even a cloud. So why is he still in his gear…
Life has its storms, too. Sometimes the Lord calms the storms that rage in our lives, but sometimes He does not remove the storm. However, how we respond to these storms can be a powerful witness. All around me are people that are on the verge of hopelessness. The storms of life are numerous seemly unrelenting and hope of relief is waning.
Sure, storms will come and go. Troubles will arise, and they will go too. Either way, remember you are covered, you are protected there is a way out of your trouble. In the visualization, the use of the yellow rain gear symbolized protection, but how ludicrous is the image of a person standing in the bright sunshine with a raincoat on. The idea seems ridiculous but it can be related to the things we often do when we attempt to protect ourselves from the things we deem to harm us. A common defense used in such instances is to isolate and alienate us; in other words, put on our raincoats. In the process we not only shut the out the world, we also shut out the very God we pray will come and save us. When we wear that raincoat, we cannot let Him in.
Most of us reach for our raincoats when we are showered with the test and trials of life. God wants us to make Him our place of safety, protection, and shelter from any storm. When things get tough, He wants us to raise our umbrellas of Word, put on our Praise ponchos, and step into our galoshes of victory . What can truly harm us if we are in God’s protection? When it is raining cats and dogs and the wind is blowing, an umbrella is not a refuge. Sometimes an umbrella is a problem. Umbrellas can break, raincoats can tear, galoshes can leak, but God cannot. Not even in the midst of a storm. When it starts pouring and the winds are blowing, God says, ‘I am your refuge. Come to me. Run to me. I’m your shelter.’”
