Rain

You know, there are many lessons that can be learned from watching or experiencing rain. I went to Texas A&M for my bachelor’s degree and College Station is famous for crazy weather. There were many times that I would walk in class and not one dark cloud would be in the sky, but an hour and 20 minutes later it would be a downpour. I learned to always have an umbrella whether there was a 20% or a 90% chance of rain, and not to wear flip flops if I thought that it might even sprinkle.

The weather in Zambia is interesting because it’s scheduled by weather patterns. For instance, from about November to early April it’s rainy season. In May cold season comes, then windy season, hot season and finally rainy season again. That being said, the rainy season will be coming to an end in the next few weeks. Now, I must say that it doesn’t rain every minute of every day all over Lusaka. It’s as if pieces of Lusaka get rain at some point during the day. Meaning, Kanyama compound may experience 30 minutes of rain in the morning, but Mulungushi Village (where I live) won’t experience any rain until the afternoon. There’s no schedule and usually it comes when you don’t expect it. (I guess College Station rain did teach me something!)

As I said at the beginning, you can learn lessons by experiencing or even just watching rain. The other day I was sitting outside reading the word and it started to rain. I was reading about Paul and how he traveled to many different places spreading the gospel, encouraging fellow brothers in Christ, experiencing hardship after hardship, but all the while being joyful to lay his life down as a living sacrifice for the Lord. As I paused to watch the rain, an analogy came to mind that I couldn’t shake. When it rains, something or someone is getting refreshed—the grass, the trees, the flowers, someone in need of water, crops, etc. Paul is like the rain. When he poured out the gospel, people were refreshed; whether they were hearing the gospel for the first time, or they were fellow apostles being reminded of pieces of scripture and truth. Like the rain in Lusaka when it only hits certain areas for parts of the day, Paul traveled from one place to the other sharing. He may not have been able to get to one place for another year, but he or someone else would go in his place eventually. I hope you can picture this analogy with me.

The Lord was teaching me that I can be like Paul. All of us can. And if everyone contributes to sharing the gospel in words or actions to those around them, all corners of the Earth will be covered in truth eventually. It gave me hope, because sometimes I feel like the needs are SO great that I’m not really accomplishing anything of importance. Day to day it’s difficult because I don’t see the big wheel moving. But my boss once said that in order to move the BIG wheel, you have to move all the small ones first. Once the small wheels start moving, the big wheel will shift an inch. If I’m helping a school, or holding an orphan, or praying for a staff member, OR sitting at my computer for hours working on a spreadsheet, the small wheels are turning. And if I’m patient enough, I’ll see the big one move…eventually. There are people in the village longing for rain so that their crops will grow…and if they are patient enough, it’ll make it out to them too.

All of us should make it a goal to be Paul or the rain every day. If we pour out the gospel or help a friend with their finances, it’s making a difference that will be move one huge wheel in their life.