I’ve been struggling through writer’s block, and intended to post this last week, but I couldn’t write anything… so here’s last week's blog:
The rainy season is coming to a close, which means the amount of rainstorms are fewer and fewer. When it does rain, it is such a relief from the Thailand heat. Last Sunday evening was one of those times. I spend a lot of my down time on the weekends processing the closing week, and readying myself for the next.
I ended last week feeling frustrated and discouraged, so my weekend was processing through those emotions and the roots of them. By time Sunday night came around I reached my banana point in journaling and praying through the same thing, and felt trapped in our team’s home. So I grabbed my water bottle and headed outside. I couldn’t go very far because 1) AIM rules say I can’t go anywhere alone, and 2) it was raining.
On my way out I passed Gloriel and Autumn, who asked where I was going. Jokingly I told them, “I don’t know, I might just runaway.”
Fast forward 8 minutes, seated under our portico watching the rain fall, I hear, “Come stand in the rain with me.”
“Jesus, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“Why not?”
“I’m wearing a white shirt.”
“So… change it.” I sat a couple minutes before I decided to go inside to change.
When I passed Gloriel and Autumn after changing my shirt, I explained I was going to stand in the rain with Jesus and invited them to come if they wanted. What I thought was going to be a time of just soaking in the rain turned into a 45 minute walk with Autumn to Bang Wad Dam.
It was so refreshing and freeing to vent everything out to Autumn. As we were walking, I thought about how the rain refreshes, cools down, and makes the dirt settle, and Jesus’ love does the same in our hearts. I then pictured all the rain drops as God’s love showering onto me washing away the past week, all the junk I had been holding on to, and my unmet expectations I had of my team.
On our way home, I thought my night in the rain had come to an end, but God had different plans. Gloriel said she had planned on coming with us, but when she came down we were gone… So, we went for a walk, too! As we splashed and jumped through the puddles, and just had a good time, I realized that the Jesus raindrops I soaked in earlier had set me free and lightened my load and I could just be me again. Praise the Lord for the rain!
