Heavy RainFall is in your forecast for today. A 90 percent chance of showers along with Thunderstorms and lightning and possible tornadoes...
No one likes to hear that kind of weather report. But I think most of us are at least thankful for the forecast. It's too bad life doesn't give us forecasts about when heavy rainfall is ahead. But even if it did, I don't think we would be ready for the swells and gusts that shake us.
As I, along with others, visited the home of a couple in our church, I was reminded of this truth. This couple's dear son went home to be with the Lord only two days earlier by way of cancer. Though I had only met him twice, I personally sensed his strength, but briefly was able to hear the way he honored God by impacting others in his 33 year physical existence.
During our visit with these parents the pain of losing a son was evident. But the faith and assurance in God who can bring superior comfort was amazingly evident as well. The complete brokenness of this loving father and dear sweet mother was displayed as they expressed to us the utter and abysmal misunderstanding of losing two sons with in a span of three years. It is through this pain and misery of a moment that a strong truth was delivered to even us as pastors through the mouth of the mother: In declaring her faith through her pain she declared Jesus word, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust." And even while they did not understand God's will, or enjoy God's will they trusted God and embraced His will. While they await His comfort, the rain is falling for them now. It is dense and painful. It is a kind of blinding rain, so heavy that makes you pull off the side of the road until it clears up. You can't move past the storm, all you can do is wait for the let up.
Even while we could bring some encouragement to their minds, I sensed in my soul that there was nothing we could do. The utter ineptness of my being was not equipped to move them to experience healing in their spirits. It is with soothing power only found in the treasuries of God himself that these beautiful, broken people will sense an umbrella of shelter from this pain and sorrow. At best we must pray this will happen quickly. But in the mean time, they teach us great faith in the Father God; even as they [and may we as well in our times of suffering] with great faith and hope in God, endure the Rain Fall.
For He makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good; and He sends rain on the just and the Unjust. (Matthew 5:45)
