I think that this is the first time in Minnesota history that Spring actually started when the calendar said it was supposed to start. We've had warm sunshine and lots of rain for the past few weeks. The effect is green grass and a hint of flowers budding on the trees. I've always loved Spring, it is a time of renewal and bright colors scattered throughout God's beautiful creation. One of my favorite Spring occurrences is sun showers. I love the smell of rain and how the sun casts rays of light over everything even as the water falls from the sky. Plus, the result is often a gorgeous rainbow, a timeless reminder of God's faithfulness and love. I always try to capture the rich colors and majesty by taking a picture of every rainbow I see, but it never captures the full experience. I found a quote, I think in a calendar I had during college, that said it takes both sunshine and rain to make a rainbow. Rain is usually associated with dreariness. The world is gray and dull and at times depressing, especially when it persists for days on end.
The past three weeks, I have been working overtime at work. As you all know, I love my job and consider it a huge blessing in my life. But by the third week of overtime I was stressed, exhausted, and crabby. It wasn't just the overtime that got to me, but the business as well. It seemed like a million people needed to be seen in that three weeks and we were all running around from patient to patient with little time to do paperwork or make phone calls or eat lunch. I came home exhausted every night, made myself dinner (or ate what my roommate cooked) and went to bed. I left all my chores to the weekend leaving my living space disorganized with heaps of clothes and mail and dishes strewn as far as the eye could see during the week. Then Saturday morning, instead of using the time as I normally would, lounging with coffee and my Bible or a good book, I tried to get a handle on the whirlwind of stuff that had accumulated during the week, never feeling like I was caught up on anything. My world felt like one big, endless rainstorm.
God knows me really well. He knew just when to allow the clouds to break so I could see the sunshine through the rain. Sometimes it was an encouraging word from a co-worker, sometimes it was a series of cancellations so I could get some of my work done, sometimes it was a text from my roommate letting me know she was praying for me, and sometimes it was extra time in the morning where I could spend time resting in His presence. He'd gently remind me not to rely on my own strength but to rest in Him. He'd provide the words of encouragement I needed to give the best of myself when I was afraid I was failing and giving less than what I wanted. He surrounded me with people who covered me with prayer, gave of their time to listen while I talked through my struggles, and built me up with words of affirmation, speaking to me in my language of love.
The biggest blessing came last Sunday, the day that marked the end of my extended overtime period. I had finished my laundry and cleaned my room the Saturday before. I awoke to birds singing outside my window and the sun streaming in beneath the blinds in my room. My roommate and I headed to Caribou with our Bibles and journals and spent a few hours reading, studying, pouring our hearts out to God, and talking through some of what we felt God laying on our hearts. I left feeling adequately caffeinated and my soul restored. We then headed to the lake for a walk/run (she ran while I walked to preserve what little mileage I have left in my knee). It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and there was a slight breeze coming off the lake. I listened to the Hillsong Pandora station as I walked and enjoyed a private worship session amidst the hundreds of people welcoming Spring with the same idea as my roommate and I. My roommate went 2 laps so I ended before she did and found a bench in the sun where I could sit to reread "The Hunger Games" before the movie came out. We returned home and I read off and on in my favorite window seat until it was time for church. The message at church was about Philippians 2:1-3 addressing the need for unity in the church, doing nothing out of self ambition or vain conceit but putting others before yourself. We are called to be like-minded or having the same love, the love demonstrated by what Christ did on the cross. When we live out the love Christ displayed for us and place others needs above our own we will experience a joy that is found only Christ, grow and mature in our faith, and effectively share the hope of Christ with people in desperate need of Him. The night ended with spontaneous fellowship at Old Chicago Pizza including about 30 people from church. I got to meet new friends and spend time with old ones. It was cool to see how the night's message applied to real life.
Often God sends us rain so that we can grow and mature into who he intended us to be just like the flowers and green grass of Spring won't appear until the ground has first been saturated by the rain and then enriched by the sun. And sometimes it takes a little rain in our lives to appreciate the sun. I don't think I would have fully appreciated Sunday had it not come after the craziness of the previous weeks. Look for the sunshine during your rainy season. No matter how long the rainy season lasts, it is always only a season. The sun will come out again, sometimes even before the rain has ended. God is faithful. He has placed a promise of that faithfulness in clouds through the brilliance of the rainbow that appears after the storm has passed.
