A Walk in the Rain

How often do you see people running to get out of the rain? A walk in the rain can be so sobering (and I don't mean when you are drunk). Humans flee the elements. Most of that I understand, but rain (unless it's a flood of course)? Now, I am a person who hates wearing wet clothes, especially wet socks. I mean I HATE it.

Yet, now and again I will just stroll through the rain letting myself slowly become drenched in it. The best time is when you have an umbrella or rain jacket and you forgo using it and carry it while getting wet. Do I deserve to be kept dry?

Rain excites the senses. It makes the body scream, "I am alive!" and not dead as I deserve. As I walk, I will often look up and watch the rain fall to the ground. Rain is so fascinating. Look up the science behind it some time. Rain is gentle yet can be firm and beat against you. Rain exposes our failure to depend on ourselves. (If you don't think so, how often has rain changed your plan?) Rain can start up slowly and stay all day, or it can start up in a hurry and leave in a flash.

These days, we want to exclude ourselves from nature. We can set our own temperatures (with A/C or heating), stay dry in the rain, keep warm in the snow, unburned in the sunlight. Now, I am not saying that we get rid of these things that make life easier on us. But, we should not totally remove ourselves from the wonderful changes and power of nature.

If you have never done so, I encourage you to take a slow, long walk in a good gentle rain some time. Soak it in, and think about these things.

1. I do not deserve to be kept dry. Is it pride that drives me to stay dry?
2. God is masterful and nature is beautiful.
3. Rain can be gentle and powerful, creating small puddles or mighty rivers.
4. If the creation is so wonderful, marvelous, and beautiful, how much more so is the Creator?

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:45 (ESV)