I HEARD THE RAIN

Friday night, Steve and I decided to watch a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie we had previously recorded but never found time to enjoy. With only 30 minutes of the movie remaining, we lost power. Thanks to my conscientious husband, the flashlight had working batteries and helped us find candles and matches. I fully expected the power to come back on at any minute, but the darkness continued. At 11:00, I called it a night and took a relaxing bath by candle light. Sound wonderful? Oh no, all I could do was complain.

It is amazing how many of our things require electricity. How did the pioneers ever survive? My first complaint, I lay down on my Select Comfort bed which had been freshly made that morning with soft 400 count pima cotton sheets and a light summer quilt, sound wonderful? On no, a Select Comfort bed requires ELECTRICITY to bring it to your personal firmness. My number is 40, the firmness was at 100, the only thing comfortable was my memory foam pillow. I felt like I was sleeping on hard ground and I complained.

Have you ever noticed how quiet a house without electricity becomes? There is no hum of the refrigerator, dishwasher, or clothes dryer. The incessant chatter from television and radio is suddenly silenced. Ok, I admit it; I am addicted to back ground noise. I cannot drive without my favorite radio station providing remote company, soft praise and worship music is an inspirational accompaniment to my daily devotions and Fox News keeps me focused on everything from housework to exercise. Every night before sinking into my personal firmness bed, I turn on a box fan. In the winter it blows air toward the wall, in the summer, the fan blows a soft breeze in my direction. Guess what? Background noise requires ELECTRICITY. So, there I lay on my “hard as a rock” bed with no background noise and I complained.

I tossed, I turned, I prayed that God, in His mercy, would give the electric company the wisdom to fix my problem. As the lonely pity party continued, I became aware of a sound that was faintly familiar. It stirred a long forgotten memory reaching back several years, when I could actually sleep on a floor pallet and didn’t require anything but a throw pillow and a blanket to settle in for the night. I HEARD THE RAIN. The steady drumming against the porch and roof became strangely soothing. Once the murmuring and complaining began to diminish, I began to notice other sounds; the soft breathing of my sleeping husband, the tinkling of chimes swaying gently in the breeze and the rustle of parched leaves drinking in each life-giving drop of rain. I slowly drifted off to sleep, a light mist riding on the gentle breeze cooling my face.

Psalm 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. How can we hear the joyful sound when we are surrounded by every other sound vying for our attention? Sometimes we need to turn off all the background noise in our life. It clutters our life to the point that we can no longer hear the Holy Spirit as it rains down around us. He is waiting to pour out “Showers of Blessings,” but we aren’t even aware of the gentle breath of God brushing against our face. I want to return to that place a little more often where I can drink the life giving water into my parched spirit and let all the problems and cares of life slowly melt away because I’m walking in the light of His countenance.

A song by Bart Millard and Pete Kipling says it best:
Verse 1
I'm finding myself at a loss for words and the funny thing is its okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard but to hear what You would say
Verse 2
I'm finding myself in the midst of You beyond the music beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You and in the quiet hear Your voice
Chorus
Word of God speak would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know that You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness
Word of God speak

Around 3:00 A.M., the power came on, my bed was adjusted and the fan began its familiar whirr, but I HEARD THE RAIN.