Well, since I spoke on the topic "Dancing In The Rain" at a Spring Women's Ministry event in March, I have certainly had more than ample opportunity to put into practice what I preached! We'll talk more in detail about some specific life illustrations in very near future posts, however for now, I wanted to share with you a song that ministered to me in my personal devotional time this morning. It was very heavy on my heart that I needed to share this today. From personal experience in being compelled to share something and doing so in obedience only to hear a future report of how someone needed that particular message in that given moment, I am confident in this: that someone this morning, like me, needs to be inspired, spurred on, compelled forward, strengthened, comforted, empowered, loved, and encouraged to keep "Dancing in the Rain!"
My prayer is that you receive this song as your "umbrella" and go forth dancing in the rain remembering what you have heard me say before; that the purpose of rain is growth!! For me, I'm not at all surprised by the fiery storms that have come in my own life since I ministered to others about how to perservere through and overcome in the midst of the storms of this journey called life! I am surprised at how I have been knocked down a bit. I still declare that I will not be moved and even though the fierce winds of the storm blow, tossing the branches to and fro, even when the flood waters rise over the roof tops, I KNOW that the roots of my tree are firmly planted and rooted in fertile soil and that my house is built and stands on a solid foundation. Although some branches have been broken and a few windows have shattered, as the storm clouds have passed over, the tree of the broken branch is still rooted in fertile soil and the house of the shattered windows still stands on a solid foundation.
So I have had to run for shelter from the storm surge, raging flood waters, hurricane force winds, tornadoes that have spun from favorable storm conditions, the rumbling of thunder and the bolt of lightning. As I look back at my outline I used in my Dancing in the Rain workshop, I've had to do exactly what I told so many of you needs to be done. I've had to run and seek shelter, I've had to rest in that source of shelter, I've had to even pull back and just take refuge for a little while, I've had to examine and determine what has been broken and in need of repair from storm "damage," life has taken some twists and turns and definitely looks a little different than what I would have planned for. Some of the repairs have required different tools to be employed from my tool belt buckled firmly around my waste. Some of those tools put to use have been a crow bar, to peel back every layer and examine meticulously any weaknesses, a few nails of humility in needing to just do what needs to be done regardless of what that looks like, a vice grip holding and standing firm regardless of every outside force that would attempt to cause it to loosen its grip, and a hammer of perseverance, fighting the good fight for what is right even when the end result doesn't look like what we had hoped for.
Those repairs take time and rebuilding anything is a process, but in the end, there have been a few rescue boats deployed, many evidences of grace, mercy, protection, and the sovereign hand of God recognized, and life has to move forward. I can sit in the "darkness" of the storm clouds overhead and cry woe is me, feeling sorry for myself, blaming others, questioning, doubting or even cursing God or I can count it all joy in my suffering, not looking back but persevering forward stronger and wiser with lessons learned and shared with others. So what do I ultimately need to do? The same thing I told so many of you to do 6 months ago: put on your rain boots, grab your umbrella, and go out and splash in the puddles and dance in the rain!
What an amazing picture exists as I draft this post! I'm facing the windows of my home; it is raining outside, I can see the branches of the trees outside the windows blowing, I can hear the wind howling and some objects rattling, but I find it strange that the sun is actually brightly shining over it all! What a beautiful illustration that God is in control! I can't help but be encouraged by an amazing sense of hope, serenity, and peace, that even in the midst of a storm that is still very much overhead, everything is going to be ok. When all else fails, His Word stands true, that this is ALL for my good and His glory!!! Romans 8:28 - Grandma Daley's favorite verse!!
That is our hope! I've said it before and I'll say it again; THE PURPOSE OF RAIN IS GROWTH!! So push the play arrow on the song I've shared below, declare the lyrics with confidence over your circumstances, upload a few others to get you moving in your "dance party," don't worry about what your neighbors think, they probably need a dance party of their own, :) put on your rain boots, grab your umbrella, and go out and DABCE IN THE RAIN (and splash in a few puddles along the way)!!
My prayer is that you receive this song as your "umbrella" and go forth dancing in the rain remembering what you have heard me say before; that the purpose of rain is growth!! For me, I'm not at all surprised by the fiery storms that have come in my own life since I ministered to others about how to perservere through and overcome in the midst of the storms of this journey called life! I am surprised at how I have been knocked down a bit. I still declare that I will not be moved and even though the fierce winds of the storm blow, tossing the branches to and fro, even when the flood waters rise over the roof tops, I KNOW that the roots of my tree are firmly planted and rooted in fertile soil and that my house is built and stands on a solid foundation. Although some branches have been broken and a few windows have shattered, as the storm clouds have passed over, the tree of the broken branch is still rooted in fertile soil and the house of the shattered windows still stands on a solid foundation.
So I have had to run for shelter from the storm surge, raging flood waters, hurricane force winds, tornadoes that have spun from favorable storm conditions, the rumbling of thunder and the bolt of lightning. As I look back at my outline I used in my Dancing in the Rain workshop, I've had to do exactly what I told so many of you needs to be done. I've had to run and seek shelter, I've had to rest in that source of shelter, I've had to even pull back and just take refuge for a little while, I've had to examine and determine what has been broken and in need of repair from storm "damage," life has taken some twists and turns and definitely looks a little different than what I would have planned for. Some of the repairs have required different tools to be employed from my tool belt buckled firmly around my waste. Some of those tools put to use have been a crow bar, to peel back every layer and examine meticulously any weaknesses, a few nails of humility in needing to just do what needs to be done regardless of what that looks like, a vice grip holding and standing firm regardless of every outside force that would attempt to cause it to loosen its grip, and a hammer of perseverance, fighting the good fight for what is right even when the end result doesn't look like what we had hoped for.
Those repairs take time and rebuilding anything is a process, but in the end, there have been a few rescue boats deployed, many evidences of grace, mercy, protection, and the sovereign hand of God recognized, and life has to move forward. I can sit in the "darkness" of the storm clouds overhead and cry woe is me, feeling sorry for myself, blaming others, questioning, doubting or even cursing God or I can count it all joy in my suffering, not looking back but persevering forward stronger and wiser with lessons learned and shared with others. So what do I ultimately need to do? The same thing I told so many of you to do 6 months ago: put on your rain boots, grab your umbrella, and go out and splash in the puddles and dance in the rain!
What an amazing picture exists as I draft this post! I'm facing the windows of my home; it is raining outside, I can see the branches of the trees outside the windows blowing, I can hear the wind howling and some objects rattling, but I find it strange that the sun is actually brightly shining over it all! What a beautiful illustration that God is in control! I can't help but be encouraged by an amazing sense of hope, serenity, and peace, that even in the midst of a storm that is still very much overhead, everything is going to be ok. When all else fails, His Word stands true, that this is ALL for my good and His glory!!! Romans 8:28 - Grandma Daley's favorite verse!!
That is our hope! I've said it before and I'll say it again; THE PURPOSE OF RAIN IS GROWTH!! So push the play arrow on the song I've shared below, declare the lyrics with confidence over your circumstances, upload a few others to get you moving in your "dance party," don't worry about what your neighbors think, they probably need a dance party of their own, :) put on your rain boots, grab your umbrella, and go out and DABCE IN THE RAIN (and splash in a few puddles along the way)!!
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