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Scripture for the day: 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that he will still deliver us.
Thought for the day: Isn’t it funny, the things that annoy us? No, really; we get upset at the silliest things, don’t we? Be honest now, what really upsets you? We plan our day, get up early to make sure we have plenty of time, jump in the car and head out to conquer the world, only to find some pinhead with no apparent schedule cruising slowly through town ahead of us, gazing around as he hadn’t a single care in the world. At the light he spends his time adjusting his radio or watching the people in the cars around him and, when the light turns green, sits there for what seems to us an eternity. Finally, after five or so interminable seconds, we feel compelled to remind him of his rude behavior by sounding our horn loud and long; or perhaps by yelling at the top of our lungs (as if he’d hear us in the confines of his car, or even care that we are so upset) “It’s not gonna get any greener, buddy!”
And why do we get so upset? Because we know that if we’re not at our destination at a given moment; if we’re as much as five minutes late, the world will stop turning and our tardiness will cause a rift in the fabric of the universe through which all our plans and schemes will tumble headlong, never to be seen again. We get upset because we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that our plans, our agenda is more important than that of anyone else on earth. And everyone else is upset because they know how wrong we are. They know that it’s their agenda that is the most important.
Why, we even get upset when nature doesn’t cooperate with our agenda. How many times have you heard someone say, “I’ll be so upset if it rains on Saturday; we’ve planned all these outside activities and I just don’t know what we’ll do if it rains.” Well, if it doesn’t rain then, when should it rain? I know; let it rain on someone else’s parade because, after all, their plans couldn’t possibly be as important as mine. Perhaps instead of cursing the rain and the inconvenience it brings we should pause long enough to thank God for the rain that washes the dust from the earth and provides nourishment for the crops so we can have food on our tables. Perhaps instead of getting upset at the sudden summer downpour we encounter when we exit our local big box store after having purchased countless bits of junk we didn’t really need and have no real use for, we should be thankful that the rain is a free gift from God and simply take a few minutes to run in the rain. Run in the rain and thank God for the free bath. Run in the rain and praise the Lord for giving us life. Run in the rain and let the schedule slip quietly into the background, just for a few moments.
Now I’m not advocating that we all get up tomorrow morning and throw our schedules out the window. There are places we need to be, things that need to be accomplished, and, yes, schedules to maintain. But I’m convinced we would be healthier, happier, and much more appreciative of the blessings of God if we simply learned to lean on him and trust that he knows more about our situation than we do. Isn’t that what Paul is trying to tell us in his letter to the Corinthians?
He and his fellow missionaries were in trouble. They were in serious trouble; probably in prison and wondering whether they would escape with their lives. I’m sure someone gave vent to his frustration at being treated so badly, particularly when they had an agenda to fulfill. They were supposed to be in the next province, not languishing in some dank, dark prison cell awaiting possible death at the hands of these unbelievers. What was God thinking when he allowed these hardships to assault them? Perhaps He was thinking that they needed to learn to trust him and run in the rain.
Perhaps it’s just a brief shower and you know the sun will be out very soon. Or you could be caught in a downpour, wondering if the rain will ever stop. Either way, the rain in your life isn’t there to drown you; it’s there to help you learn to trust. Run in the rain; enjoy yourself and learn to trust the One who brought you to it – he’ll bring you through it.
“Brothers and sisters, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
Now go take on your world. - Bill