Thursday, March 09, 2006

Let it rain


In the past three months I've watched over six wildfires destroy thousands of acres. One night at 2 a.m. my husband were driving home and stopped to wake a family up when we saw a mile-long fire from the turnpike. It surrounded this sleeping family. The home next to them (thankfully empty that night) was consumed by fire.

I live in beautiful Green Country Oklahoma.

I know. I know. You think Oklahoma is flat and brown and a dustbowl like the old movies. The truth is that the old movies were filmed in California. Where I live, it is green and beautiful with lots of trees and lakes and hills.

But not lately. Drought and fires like tornadoes have swept across homes and farms and down the highways, creating infernos of flame and smoke.

Last night I woke up at 2 a.m. to the sound of wind and rain. Harsh storms can spring up quickly in the spring, so I got out of bed to check the weather. Satisfied that we weren't going to be swept into the air like Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, I settled on the couch in the darkness.

It was sweet and peaceful. I lingered. I thought about God. Just me and him. I started talking to him.

And then I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time.

It was a rain of a different sort.

I quietly whispered to God about the things that were important to me.

My family. The hurt of one family member.

My ministry. The teens I love. The college students I get to hang out with every week.

My writing. God, I'm juggling like crazy. Where do you want me to be.

I nestled under my OU blanket (Go Sooners!) and the sweet spirit of God lingered with me. And I realized how dry I was, how combustable my life felt, how I carried the weight of things I couldn't fix.

I didn't ask for it, but he saw that I needed it. God poured out his spirit -- his rain -- over my life. Like drops of saturating rain, it eased into my heart and soul. I think it is ironic, poetic even, that he came to me in the midst of a storm.

I pray that for you today as well -- his rain. His refreshing. Knowing that God is so intuitive, so big, and so very real.

Suzie

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Suzie,
Reading this makes me want that kind of spiritual rain. I feel like I'm going through the motions and it's not amounting to much. In school, I feel like I'm doing somehting worthwhile but at home whenI think about it it has amounted to nothing. Your post was refreshing though, and it gave me hope!

T. Suzanne Eller said...

Hi Samantha,

It's not about what we do, sweetheart. It's about being God's girl. He loves you. Sometimes we just need to unplug and get alone with him. I will pray with you today, okay? : )

Suz

Anonymous said...

Suzie,

You'll never know how much I needed to hear that. Totally caught up into school, I have practically zip time to do much else. Thanks for your blog and your awesome insight.

Let it Rain!!!