Rain

Nina

 I sense people saying, “oh my, why would anyone Blog about Rain?” But I very well intend to Blog about Rain. Probably because of the effect it has on me. I have to give a little background, in order for this to make any sense.

I come from Oklahoma, where the Rain Storms get ferocious at times. It has been about 18 years since I have lived in Oklahoma. Both my husband and I are teachers. I am a Science Teacher and he is presently teaching Computers and Baby Sitting the Net for the High School. I do not work for a pay check. But he loves saying, I DO WORK, I JUST  DON'T BRING HOME A CHECK, BUT WE SHARE EVERYTHING HE MAKES. He loves allowing me time to 'Work at Home.' Which is great, because I love Music and get to play Music, a whole lot, the guitar, fiddle, banjo, piano, dulcimer and blues harp. And I love to write bunches about everything. I write this Blog, 4 Journals, I AM PRESENTLY WRITING 7 BOOKS. AND HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN 3. Plus I love sewing, knitting, cooking, cleaning, exercising and shopping.

But back to the Rain. Last night I woke up at 2, could not sleep so got up. The window was open and I leaned out of it and could vaguely hear Rain, pitter pattering on the Dry, Dusty, Parched Ground of the Desert. We had a Dust Storm on the same day. It was announcing a change in the Weather Pattern and boy, is Rain a change. But there it was. Too dark to see, but, oh I could hear it, if I tuned into the droplets.

Sweet drops of pure water! Now if anyone’s ever been affected by a dust storm, then you understand, how wonderful it is, to get that dust that lingers out of the air. There is nothing worse than a dust storm, and nothing more wonderful than rain, pitter pattering on the hard, caked dust of the desert. A real desert storm is indeed a magnificent animal. Dark, foreboding and unending, it blows and blows and blows dark furrows of dust everywhere. Even inside, you can taste the bitterness, of the dust in your mouth.

It’s hard not to think of death, at a time like this. For that is what our lives all end up, consisting of, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. Makes one quite humble, to realize, whoops, that’s our end state of being. What exactly did I think I had that I could be proud of. Then I realize, absolutely nothing, except what God has given me, even down to my gifts and talents. That is why, I dance in dust storms and ice storms and rain storms, with everything I got, to signify, I am still alive. I am told to give it everything I got. Whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men. Col 3:23

A dust storm signifies the end to me. I’ve always hated them ugly things, and they smell awful and they are as dark as Night. The ending of whatever is happening to you, now. All stands still in an ‘ice storm’ and a 'horrid rain storm' and a‘dust storm.’ That is why I hate dust storms, They always quote that at funerals. But without an ending, there would never be, no new beginning over yonder, where our Spirit will be residing with Jesus, until our ashes and dust catch up with our Spirits. Yes, my friends, ashes and dust from here, the corruptible, become the new beginning over yonder, the incorruptible.

 For like in Ezekial, the dead bones come alive. Sinew is put back on the bones, ashes and dust become the new skin and walla, our new bodies are ready to meet our Spirit, when they are called, by the Creator to come forth. I always like to think, we are changed from the corruptible to the incorruptible, immediately if Jesus comes back before we die, so the old dust storms of our lives are left behind/a new beginning bursts forth. It’s kinda like throwing Spiritual Rain, on earthly dust here! Something mysterious happens.
   
    Rain signifies a NEW BEGINNING! For if you water the old dust, life springs forth to make new things grown. The seeds of hope, is what rain carries inside each tiny drop. And faith blossoms into flowers that we all love.
   
    How wonderful when rain, brings a cooling relief from a horrid heat. Makes one want to jump for Joy. How wonderful when crops begin to grow, because of the moisture, the rain brings, to loosen the hard clods of resistance, and give seeds a softened pathway, to find their way up out of the dust, into the light of life. How wonderful rain is. That is why I always loved the Oklahoma rainstorms. I would gaze out of the window and watch them, within the safety of our own house. I would look in the dark, rainy night and think, God was walking in the Garden of Eden, in the cool of the evening. My husband worked nights, and I was so afraid of the dark, till when THE DANCE came on the radio, I would dance with Daniel. Somehow dancing helped with fear. Brought me closer to God, anyways and so did the Garden of Eden. I SURELY MISS THOSE RAINSTORMS, THEY ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES HERE IN ARIZONA, EXCEPTING FOR THE ONE, THAT BROUGHT THOSE TORNADOES, IT POURED HERE, just like Oklahoma. BUT Tornadoes ARE RARE out here, AS I SAID BEFORE IN MY PREVIOUS BLOG. But one does not get too many rainstorms in Arizona.                       
    But fear can creep it’s ugly head, in amidst, the raindrops of Heavens Dew. Oklahoma is Tornado Alley. And I grew up with a fear, of the rain, for I knew what terrific devastation, it could bring with it. But one day, driving home from Oklahoma State University to Mannford, Oklahoma, I was alone, and it began to rain and I was not at home. For a moment in time, I wanted to run scared and I mean really scared! But I stopped my car along the edge of a pull off, and felt the rain hit my face, AND I EMBRACED THE RAIN, and I decided it was time for me to let go of the fear of rain AND TORNADOES. So I started dancing in the rain. Man did it ever feel good. So that is why I dance when it rains or blows up a dust storm. It is simply me saying, FEAR IS NOT GOING TO RULE MY LIFE. I AM GOING TO ENJOY, EACH AND EVERY MOMENT OF WHAT GOD GIVES ME, AND LIKE DAVID I’LL DANCE BEFORE THE LORD! AFTER ALL, HE SENDS BOTH THE RAINSTORMS, AND THE DUST STORMS. ALLS WE HAVE TO DO IS TRUST HIM, TO GIVE US WHAT IS BEST FOR US. SUBMIT!

    EVEN NOW IN ARIZONA, I HAVE LEARNED, NOT TO FEAR, THE DUST STORMS OF MY LIFE. And I drink for my infirmities. Just don’t get proud and say you don’t. DUST AND NIGHT AND DEATH, IS AS NATURAL, A PART OF LIFE AS ICE STORMS, RAIN AND TORNADOES, THEY ALL POINT TO GOD WITH AN AWESOME BEAT!  YES, IT IS SCARY, AND FEARFUL AND MAKES YOU WANT TO TREMBLE, WHICH NO ONE NEEDS TO LIVE WITH, BUT JESUS CAME TO TAKE OUR FEAR! REMEMBER THAT. SUBMIT!

                ‘so lets just dance.’