For Rainy Days
by Ryan Duncan
“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10
Recently, my Small Group decided to take a weekend retreat down to the coast. I’ve got to say, I was pretty excited. In the days leading up to the weekend I couldn’t help but imagine hanging out at the beach, playing some football with the guys, and grilling copious amounts of meat for evening meals. When Friday finally rolled around, we loaded up our cars and made the two hour trip down to the coast where we had rented our cabin. Well, it rained. All weekend.
It wasn’t the fun kind of rain either, the kind where if you get a few people brave enough you can run around outside like maniacs until you’re soaked. No, this was the cold, unrelenting kind of rain that makes you want to crawl back in bed and hibernate for a week. So I was a little surprised when Stephanie, one of the girls in our group, announced that she wanted to get baptized. She had planned on doing so at the beginning of the trip, and decided that she was going to follow through despite the weather.
She couldn’t have picked a more miserable day. The sky was gray, the sea was white and foamy, and as we stepped onto the beach, I knew it would only be minutes until we were all close to freezing. I remember watching Stephanie and her friend wading into the sea and thinking that when I got baptized it would be somewhere tropical and sunny. But when Stephanie broke the surface, the joy on her face seemed uncontainable. You couldn’t help smiling with her as she climbed out of the water.
Suddenly the sky didn’t seem so gray, the rain wasn’t so bad, even the wind, which was just as cold as ever, didn’t bother me so much. It was one of those moments where you knew God was there. Life is full of bad moments and rainy days, and it’s tempting to think God doesn’t care when cloudy skies remain the same. But here’s the thing about God, you never know him better than after he’s taught you to laugh in the rain.
Intersecting Faith and Life
Take a moment to find Joy in the life God has given you.
Further Reading
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
