Put Away Your Umbrella
April 13, 2022
It’s April in Pennsylvania and that means rain. Rain, grey skies, temperatures that rise and fall like a yo-yo. It is the season of winter coats one day and sandals and t-shirts the next. And I don’t even want to talk about the toll it takes on my sinuses!
I could easily write the typical “look on the bright side,” “April showers bring May flowers” blog. After all, it is good to look for the positive in situations. We have much for which to be grateful. As I face rainy, grey day after rainy, grey day, lamenting for just a little sunshine, God nudged me and said, “Put away the umbrella. There is blessing in the rain.”
In nature, rain brings lawns back to life in vibrant green. Trees push forth new growth. And, yes, flowers bloom with colors that have lain dormant for a season or two. But rain also brings a muddy yard, washed out driveways, and felled trees whose roots were too shallow to hold them up in the rain weakened earth.
In the Bible, Holy Sprit is symbolized in many ways: dove, fire, oil, water, and yes, rain. Rain and running water represent the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. Hosea 6:3: “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (NIV).
Rain is mentioned twice in this passage. The first mention, “winter rains,” is the Hebrew word Gesham meaning rain showers and typically refers to the fall rains that come before the harvest. Its word origin in unknown according to Strong’s. The second mention of rains, “spring rains,” is the Hebrew word Malqosh which means latter rain or spring rain (typically latter March and April). Its word of origin is Leqesh which is translated, ”the after growth; spring crop.”
Gesham rain is needed to ensure the crops are healthy. To grow them to their most useful purpose. To make them ready for harvest. Malqosh rain brings after growth; the budding of new life. After seasons of cold or dormancy, this rain creates stunning beauty that would not be conceivable or possible without it.
Rain, you see, brings opportunity and obstacle. But even in the obstacles, we can find opportunity. There is blessing in the rain. For the muddy yard – or muddy heart – there is opportunity to absorb the living water of Jesus. In the times when we feel as if we will never dry out or the tears will never dry up, we can trust that God will nourish our souls with the very water that overwhelms us in our present circumstance. And that water will sustain us when we find ourselves thirsty for hope.
For the driveway that is rutted and washed out – or the plans that seem to be under attack – there is opportunity to evaluate if the direction and means we have chosen are of God or of us. What material are we building our future on – is it rock or sand? What path are we walking – ours or God’s? This is an opportunity to step back and ask, “Is this what God wants for me?”
For the tree whose roots have failed – or the life that seems beyond saving – there is opportunity to turn tragedy, disappointment, and loss into something beautiful. Don’t believe me? The greatest gift even given to mankind was hung on a tree that was felled. A tree that turned into the cross. The very cross that changed the world forever. The cross that absorbed the last breath that my Savior Jesus Christ would take on earth. The breath that, once and for all, collected all sin and defeated the enemy.
The Holy Spirit is the rain from Heaven. He pours onto and into you to feed you, to strengthen you in times of adversity, so that He can draw you closer to God and bring new life from within you. The new life that was bought and paid for on Calvary by a man who decided you were worth dying for.
Easter is this weekend. I can’t help but think of Jesus’ followers. That Good Friday must have felt like a horrible rainstorm, drenching their hopes and crushing their hearts as they watched their Messiah beaten, whipped, spat upon, and nailed to a cross. Little did they know, that on the other side of that storm lay eternal freedom. And the only way to that freedom was through the storm. The same water that sometimes overwhelms us may very well be a spring rain of blessing to bring forth God’s beautiful plan for our lives.
So, during this rainy season, put away your umbrella. Dance in the rain. Play in the puddles. Be drenched in the spirit of opportunity. Accept the refreshing rain of Holy Spirit. Beautiful things are coming forth.
What blessings might you be missing? How can you put away your umbrella and allow Jesus to drench you in Holy Spirit?