The Rain In Mexico
The Rainy Season has finally arrived here in Mexico!! I have never experienced the type of torrential flooding I have witnessed here! It comes on pretty quickly. The skies will be blue with soft, white, fluffy clouds all around, and then suddenly, in a matter of minutes, the black and grey clouds, heavy with water, will roll in. Large and loud drops will begin to plop on the arms and cheeks. Thunderous booms scatter over the sky. Finally, the heavens will open and the floods will commence. I planted seeds last week, and I'm pretty sure they are all washed away. I don't think it's even worth reseeding, because the water is so overwhelming. I don't see how they could stay under the ground. How these people farm from seed here is beyond me! Usually, it happens in the late evening or during the night. I believe it has rained probably 9 of the last 10 nights. The rain chases away the heat, cools the air and the earth; it revives the body. However, by late afternoon the heat is back, the sweat has settled under my arms and on my forehead, and I am grateful that this season has come! It's not always torrential. It's not always overwhelming. Sometimes it's quite peaceful, and very relaxing. Rain brings security to the land, and peace to my mind.
For weeks before the Rainy Season finally came upon us, it teased us relentlessly. There would be moments in the late afternoon when the winds would begin to stir. The clouds would start to cluster together over the sun, and even the air would be thick with the delicious smell of moisture. Those of us working outside during times like this would look at each other with excitement in our eyes, anticipating the release of the tension in the air, waiting for the storm that seemed so near. Often, staff members would dart out of buildings and sprint towards the laundry line in an effort to rescue their clothes. At times, a few drops would even grace the earth, but they would evaporate from the sidewalk almost instantly. Even though the ground was thirsty and desperate for a drink, the clouds would dissipate and the hope of rain would quickly relent to the reality that is the Dry Season. Only two seasons exist in this part of Mexico. The Rainy Season lasts from sometime in May or June to sometime in October, and the rest of the year is painfully dry.
In my mind, as I observed the coming of the rainy season this year, I was reminded of the church.
When I saw the clouds begin to gather, and I smelled the moisture in the air, it made me think of the people of the church beginning to gather themselves on a Sunday morning. . . the promise of worshipers arising to rain glory down on their King. I imagined what the Lord experiences as the people of the earth, who claim Him, wake up and begin to prepare themselves to gather together. He patiently watches as they eat their breakfast and dress themselves and their family. He feels the stir in the air as the car doors slam and the people are moving together, like droplets of rain beginning to stick to each other in a cloud. Does He smell the prayers that float up. Is He anticipating the outpouring of love from their hearts to His throne room? Is He awaiting the relief, the breaking of the tension, as his bride worships Him in Spirit and in truth.
Does the rain ever come? Do we depend on the few droplets of those who truly praise and worship to carry us through? Do we release to our God what He is due? Is it the Dry Season in the chapel?
FINALLY, the beautiful day will come forth . . . like the coming of the Rainy Season . . . when the true worshippers gather together and they pour out their love and admiration for their redeemer. They forget about their own lives, and plug into Him. They pour out their prayers, their songs, and their love to their Lord like a torrential flood that has been a long time coming. They confess their sins, they accept each other as sinners saved, and they truly give Him all they have. They make full use of their time together to bring glory to their King, to stand as a witness of who He is and what He has done.
When they do, the world is effected. Flowers pop up . . . the promise of fruit. Things that used to look dead begin to bud and show signs of life. Little trenches have formed in the dirt, and the gravel in the road has shifted. Everyone who wakes up the morning after a big rain can easily perceive the precipitation that occurred the night before.
And the King is pleased.
For weeks before the Rainy Season finally came upon us, it teased us relentlessly. There would be moments in the late afternoon when the winds would begin to stir. The clouds would start to cluster together over the sun, and even the air would be thick with the delicious smell of moisture. Those of us working outside during times like this would look at each other with excitement in our eyes, anticipating the release of the tension in the air, waiting for the storm that seemed so near. Often, staff members would dart out of buildings and sprint towards the laundry line in an effort to rescue their clothes. At times, a few drops would even grace the earth, but they would evaporate from the sidewalk almost instantly. Even though the ground was thirsty and desperate for a drink, the clouds would dissipate and the hope of rain would quickly relent to the reality that is the Dry Season. Only two seasons exist in this part of Mexico. The Rainy Season lasts from sometime in May or June to sometime in October, and the rest of the year is painfully dry.
In my mind, as I observed the coming of the rainy season this year, I was reminded of the church.
When I saw the clouds begin to gather, and I smelled the moisture in the air, it made me think of the people of the church beginning to gather themselves on a Sunday morning. . . the promise of worshipers arising to rain glory down on their King. I imagined what the Lord experiences as the people of the earth, who claim Him, wake up and begin to prepare themselves to gather together. He patiently watches as they eat their breakfast and dress themselves and their family. He feels the stir in the air as the car doors slam and the people are moving together, like droplets of rain beginning to stick to each other in a cloud. Does He smell the prayers that float up. Is He anticipating the outpouring of love from their hearts to His throne room? Is He awaiting the relief, the breaking of the tension, as his bride worships Him in Spirit and in truth.
Does the rain ever come? Do we depend on the few droplets of those who truly praise and worship to carry us through? Do we release to our God what He is due? Is it the Dry Season in the chapel?
FINALLY, the beautiful day will come forth . . . like the coming of the Rainy Season . . . when the true worshippers gather together and they pour out their love and admiration for their redeemer. They forget about their own lives, and plug into Him. They pour out their prayers, their songs, and their love to their Lord like a torrential flood that has been a long time coming. They confess their sins, they accept each other as sinners saved, and they truly give Him all they have. They make full use of their time together to bring glory to their King, to stand as a witness of who He is and what He has done.
When they do, the world is effected. Flowers pop up . . . the promise of fruit. Things that used to look dead begin to bud and show signs of life. Little trenches have formed in the dirt, and the gravel in the road has shifted. Everyone who wakes up the morning after a big rain can easily perceive the precipitation that occurred the night before.
And the King is pleased.
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