For (God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. – Matthew 5:45 NIV
Nothing personal, but the world doesn’t revolve around you – or me. So why do we take things so personally? Like rain. As the rainy days have continued to pile up, I’ve heard a lot of grumbling. And not just grumbling. I’ve heard people speak as if the rain was personally directed at them to make their lives miserable. They blame God or the Universe or Mother Nature for ruining their graduation party, canceling their ballgame, or stealing from them another precious day of summer.
I’m guilty too. The other day I was driving around the farm checking the corn. I was on a path I’d driven hundreds of times without any problems. But this time was different. All of the rain had turned one spot into a muddy version of quicksand. In seconds I buried my car to the axles. It took over an hour for me to dig it out of the mud. And I was wet and hot and dirty and mad. Stupid rain! What did I do to deserve this?
And then I remembered last June when I was checking the corn and praying for rain because of the drought, and I had to laugh. How silly to think it was all about me. All the rain has refilled our lakes and streams and given the corn (and our lawns) a great start. The rain wasn’t sent to personally muddy my car and ruin my day. The world doesn’t revolve around me. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, no matter which one I am at the time.
I need to stop taking everything so personally. No more grumbling. Only thankfulness. Thank you, God, for the rain that waters the fields. Thank you, God, for the sunshine that causes the corn to grow. And thank you, God, for being with me whether it’s raining or not.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark
Please pray for VBS this week. “Scuba: Diving into Friendship with God” is the theme.