I love the rain. The way it sounds, feels, and even smells. And this past Friday, it made me laugh . . . a lot.
Two weeks ago, we started a Friday night hang-out spot for high school students called The Rush. Each week students have the opportunity to play basketball, video games, ping-pong, crazy group games, skate on our new ramps, listen to live music and seek Jesus. This last Friday was our first evening with the new halfpipe. After nearly an hour of setting all the skate park elements up, the heavens opened and the rain began to fall. What would usually be an enjoyable summer monsoon, this moisture was not welcome – our skate ramps have a covering that can’t get wet. So with a single power tool, we rushed to get the halfpipe disassembled (because of its size it must be taken down into six large pieces). Racing to get the pieces inside the warehouse to start drying, I, now completely drenched, started laughing. While others were getting frustrated with the rain, I was laughing, skipping and yelling “I still trust Jesus!” Having no idea as to why it was raining when we prayed for none, I rested in Jesus, knowing He had everything under control.
With all the skate equipment safely inside drying, we gathered with a few dozen people and had the garage band play a set. Screamo is not usually my style of music, but these guys were awesome. Having a captive audience, the five band members screamed, jumped, head-banged, and laughed the entire time. At the close of the concert (far longer than it would have been had it not rained), we spent time hanging and spilling Jesus all over them. They arrived unsure anyone would enjoy the music and left saying it was one of the best events they played.
Driving home that evening, I pondered as to why God allowed it to rain and completely upset the schedule for the evening. But it dawned on me – my Jesus is passionately interested in the individual. Could it have been (I am merely speculating) that someone in the band was at their end and needed to be loved on? It appeared that all the focus of the evening went toward showing the love of Jesus to the band, and perhaps they really needed it.
Isaiah 55.8-9 declares “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
When things don’t seem to be going right in my life, could it be that God is orchestrating something far more grand? I can’t wait to finally hear the back story as to why the rain fell. Perhaps I’ll have to wait till heaven but I know one thing: it was suppose to rain, we weren’t suppose to skate, and we were meant to love on the band. It may not make sense, but His ways aren’t ours nor our thoughts like His. When I continued reading the passage from Isaiah 55 it brought another burst of laughter at the awesomeness of God:
For as the rain comes down … and does not return there … so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please. Isaiah 55.10-11
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