One picture is of a light summer drizzle. The kind of rain that comes unexpectedly but is always welcome, even if its in the middle or a picnic. The kind of rain that nourishes the thirsty ground and enables new life to spring up from the ground. This kind of rain is light and constant, and perfect for dancing in.
The other kind of rain is intense. This kind of rain brings storms and even floods. It overwhelms everything it touches, it grabs life by the roots and if its not firmly planted, it will get carried away. This kind of rain is scary, in a wondrous sort of way. It gets your attention.
I have had a season of summer rain. God raining his grace into my life in a constant, life-giving sort of way. I have been growing, growing, growing from the amount of grace in my life. This grace has come through all sorts of places and it's been wonderful. My heart was so full, there were times when I thought it would burst.
And then the storm came. God's grace was still raining into my life, but it was raining so hard that it hurt. It overwhelmed me, grabbed me at the root and threatened to carry me away. It washed away the things I was clinging to so tightly, revealing my heart and leaving me bruised and hurting.
Both kinds of rain are necessary for me to grow. There are times when I need to dance in the rain and other times when I need to have the things I cling too pulled out from under me. Both kinds are good. So I'm soaking up the rain, soaking up God's grace in my life.
"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me"
