Walking in the Rain

My alarm this morning was a roll of thunder. I laid in bed for a few minutes afterwards praying over the day that lay ahead of me. I try to do this every morning as soon as I wake up but I have to admit sometimes I fall back asleep mid prayer. I didn't do that this morning but I thought it would be funny if I did and God woke me back up with another loud clap of thunder. God is so patient with me.

So yes, it rained today. Pretty much all day. My shoot was suppose to be outside and it ended up being inside but it was suppose to look like it was outside so I had to bring the outside in. (Say that 5 times fast.) Bringing the outside in meant me trudging through the rain and doing some "landscaping" for our office building by borrowing some branches from a few bushes. I then assembled those branches using clamps to a background to create a beautiful and serene backdrop to a springtime tea. Do I sound crazy?

Nonetheless, I did the best with what I had to work with and all ended well. 

As I was walking out of work it was still raining but not hard. I had one of those moments. You know, when you're going through your day and then God throws you into your own little parable situation? Like you are a character in your own parable and there's some crazy cool meaning to something so simple that you always do but never thought about? Bear with me.

I usually don't ever use an umbrella unless it's pouring down rain. Most of the time I don't have an umbrella anyway but that's beside the point. As I walked through the rain today and felt drop after drop hit my face God revealed to me the sweetest lesson.

In life we will have trials...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

We will face hurt, frustration, anger, pain, sickness, and death among many things. Just like trials, rain comes down and strikes our faces and we will want to run with our heads ducked in an attempt to dodge every drop. But, as I raised my face to the sky today and felt the drops hit, I smiled because rain on my face is nothing to run from. With trials, we grow more going through them than running away. I would much rather feel the rain that leads to wisdom on my face than to be a dry and warm fool. God uses trials to reveal His glory. 
1 Peter 1 says...

"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (v. 6-7)

So, take time to feel the rain on your face. Whatever trial you are going through, know that God is sovereign over every detail. He knows where every drop of rain will fall. Don't run away from what He is trying to teach you because you will find that it is within trials that you find a Savior full of immeasurable mercy, unspeakable joy, unexplainable peace, and the most gentle way of sanctifying our lives. And remember, the rain does not last forever. 

Enjoy!

Sarah