Bring the Rain

I can count a million times,
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray,

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain.

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray,

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain.

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty.

MercyMe ~ Coming Up To Breathe
http://mercyme.org/main

Rain, or the lack of it, has been a popular talking point in my part of the country this year. Usually the conversation boils down to the obvious: We need rain and we need it now ... good, steady, soaking rain to green things up and replenish the water table. If it comes too fast and furious it just runs off, eroding the soil and leaving us worse off than we were to begin with. We want our blessings just so, don't we?

It's been so dry churches have even taken to adding rain to their prayer lists. Now there's an extreme idea. But even more extreme is the idea of praying for rain - problems, trials, heartaches - in our lives for the sole purpose of glorifying Him. Remember the old saying, "Be careful what you ask for"? Most people would think you got what you deserved if you prayed such a thing. But I'm thinking such a prayer would a sign of spiritual maturity.

I have a good friend who I consider to be much farther along in her faith journey than I am. She's one of those rare friends I want to be like when I grow up. We were talking one day not too long ago about a thunderstorm that stalled over my life. After listening for a while she looked at me and said, “Have you reached the place where you can thank God for your situation right now?” I didn't get her question at first. After all, I was whining a fair amount, so I just thought it was probably a rhetorical question. And even when I did figure out what she meant, I had to admit I was nowhere near being grateful for the driving rain in my life.

But I kept her question tucked away in the back of my mind and eventually I got to that place. It took some time and a whole lot of soul-searching, but I got there. And the great thing about being in a place of acceptance and gratitude is, that's where we find God. To truly be thankful for our circumstance means we're content to live our lives in real relationship with God, trusting Him for every need and each situation.

I think that’s what He wants from us, isn’t it? I know that’s where we have to be for Him to use us for His glory.

So let it rain … He’ll shelter you.