Never Alone

Today the rain sweeps across the field in waves, like an endless stream of people on the march. How the Australians must long for such precipitation in New South Wales and Queensland, where fires blaze out of control! Father, send your rain.

God speaks in every season, in every circumstance, in every language and in the silence. He speaks in my plenty and he speaks in my pain. He never leaves me nor forsakes me. In the sprint when trouble strikes out of nowhere and is quickly resolved, he is there. In the marathon where challenges stretch to the farthest horizon, he is there.

I am grateful for such a faithful Father. I am never alone.

Perfect Blue

The sky was a perfect blue, but skimming towards us was a dark grey mat of a cloud, threatening rain. Mary headed out for our walk in a summer blouse. I had a sweater and a summer coat. She saw the blue sky. I saw the grey cloud.

Two miles later, I clutched my coat in my hand, sweating. Mary had read the sky right while I had made assumptions based on the sort of summer we’ve had thus far. She had listened to the forecast where I hadn’t bothered.

Jesus challenged his followers to keep an eye on the signs of the time, and he used the weather as an illustration. He warned that there will be trouble ahead, but that when we are walking with him, he will guide us: blouse or jacket. God speaks, as he always has, through his Bible, through human beings and through circumstances. I need to practice my listening skills.