Rain

Rain

Ahhhhh . . . . rain. It's so relaxing to listen to the pitter patter of a steady rain and smell the sweet aroma that arises from the dry, scorched, thirsty ground as the hard dirt begins to soften from the moisture. The brittle, parched grass seems to "green up" right before my eyes. The plants in the flower beds slowly begin to lift their weary heads as the raindrops fall. As the rain is washing the plants clean, their leaves begin to start reaching upwards as if rejoicing and welcoming the much-needed rain with open arms, drinking in its life-giving water.

Have you ever been in a spiritual drought? I have . . . and I will never allow myself to experience that again - ever! There were several "issues" that contributed to my spiritual drought. Ultimately, I allowed my disappointments and heartaches to pull me away from my relationship with God. God didn't push me away, He didn't turn His back to me, and He certainly didn't "unsave" me. I pulled away from Him simply because I was overwhelmed with life. It seemed everything bombarded me at once during that time - family tragedy, church bickering, financial problems, health problems, etc. It seemed I'd get over one hurdle and another one was waiting. I was tired. I was angry. I was hurt. I became so tired, angry, and hurt that I no longer had the energy or the desire to talk to God. I merely woke up every morning and trudged through the motions of living my life. I continued attending church regularly, three times a week, like a "good Christian" should. (Only in body, not in spirit.) I wore that "everything is hunky dory" mask for months and months; but, in reality, my life was extremely off-balance. I was so out-of-sync with my Lord. If anyone could've peeled off my mask during that time, they would have revealed a very sad and downcast face, tears streaming. (Imagine the comedy/tragedy theater masks: That was me.) That was the condition of my heart. The outside portrayed a person who had it "all together", a person who knew how to deal with the hard knocks of life like a pro. Eventually, however, I could no longer hide my inward pain and my disconnect from God. Bitterness and pessimism began to outwardly make its appearance on my countenance, in my remarks, and in my attitudes. I had allowed personal issues and circumstances to overshadow my faith in the One who had only a few years previously snatched me from the tight grip of Satan and had showered me with Blessings of New Life. (Oh, how quickly we tend to forget.)

I remember vividly the day I ran back to God. He met me with open arms. It was almost like accepting Him for the first time. I lifted my head and felt spiritual raindrops from my Master and Creator begin to fall onto my face and soak into my heart. I raised my arms and began to praise God for the Life-Giving Flow that surged through my soul.

In the depths of my soul, I had been parched and thirsty like the moisture-deprived foliage during a long drought. I was quickly becoming hardened like the dry ground. Now my thirst was quenched and I was satisfied. His Touch was all I would ever need again, a huge lesson learned while in that spiritual desert. He's all I need. My heart, my attitude, my outlook had all been softened by the Master's Touch and the Rain from Heaven. No matter what life throws my way, I will continue to drink from that Bloodstained Fountain and bathe in the River of Life until the Giver of Life takes me home.

Susan Trafford Martin
October 26, 2010