Let it Rain!

I believe it was the Tuesday after the storm the Rain fell!  We had been delivering meals twice a day to Concord, and we were somewhere around day 4 of relief work, I think.  At this point days were running together.  I knew it was going to rain, but I wasn't quite sure what the forecast held for us that day.  The Lord did.  As we got to the church around 7 am we started preparing the dinner for the evening and then moved on to bagging up the lunches.  Around 10:30 or so we pulled out with around 300 lunches to hand out.  I had packed ponchos, but didn't take time to look at the temperature, as it was 95 degrees the day before, so off I went in my wind shorts and sleeveless tshirt.  I should have looked, it was cold and wet!  We packed our buggies and wagons with the food and off we went.  Everyone we handed meals to that day thought we were nuts out in the rain, but they accepted everything with a smile.  It rained, and we were soaked!  But I looked at it like this ...that day the rain separated the boys from the men, as the saying goes.  We were walking in the rain for Jesus that day.  The power guys and construction workers were working for us in the rain.  The policemen, firefighters and our military men were standing in the rain for us that day.  We were the ones that went the extra mile to show people Jesus that day.  We wanted to show that we loved Jesus enough to love on the people that needed it most when times got rough...not when the sun was shining and it was easy.  We wanted to love on them when it was wet and cold.  I think we got that point across that day, and I hope and pray one person saw a difference in us that day, and I pray God puts someone in their path to explain to them what the difference about us was!  We ended up handing out over 700 meals that day soaking wet!  God wasn't finished teaching me lessons that day because as I look back he gave me a very special friend that day.  I saw the heart of Jesus pushing a wagon right next to me that day.  I had the pleasure of serving with a fellow believer and forming a life long friendship that day.  We had the joy of the Lord that day, and He gave us His strength to get through it.  I can honestly say I had more fun that Tuesday in the rain being wet and cold, than I have had on most beaches sitting with my feet in the sand.  All because we positioned ourselves to be used by God.  I think God let it rain that day for me!  So I could truly experience Joy like no other in Him alone.  He taught me so much that day, and I will treasure it for a lifetime, and I hope I can say forever...Let is Rain!

For the Joy of the Lord is your strength.  Nehemiah 8:10