This post is written to link with Five Minute Friday: write for five minutes on a one-word prompt. The prompt today is “rain.”
As soon as I checked the weather forecast, I knew that going to the beach was not a good idea.
Despite the fact that it was July, the forecast for the following day was for heavy rain all day. There was even a severe weather warning! In Scotland we’re used to rain, but this looked extreme.
I was leading a camp for a group of young people and the next day was meant to involve a trip to the beach along with two other groups that were in different parts of the same centre, so I went to speak to the other leaders so that we could come up with a back-up plan.
To my surprise they were completely unconcerned about the weather warning. I protested that we should take it seriously- it wasn’t just a few showers; it was torrential rain all day- but they wouldn’t listen.
Eventually I was told:
“Just have faith! We’ll pray about it and it will be fine.”
In the end there was nothing I could do. I was outnumbered and I couldn’t persuade them, so the next morning we loaded all the young people onto the bus, ready for the beach.
At that point there was light rain, but the other leaders assured me it would be fine when we got there. They had prayed after all!
Needless to say we arrived to be greeted with a downpour unlike anything I have ever seen. We were drenched within about 30 seconds of getting off the bus and after rushing around in and out of cafes and shops for an hour or so, people were soaked through three layers of clothing!
It was a truly miserable day.
We did manage to pull it back later in the day by finding a ten-pin bowling alley that was willing to take 100 soggy teenagers at short notice, but that trip has gone down in history with leaders obsessively checking the weather forecast before every beach trip and getting anxious if there is even a hint of rain.
To be fair to the other leaders who overruled me, they sincerely apologised later and the one who had told me to “just have faith and pray” told me later that it had been the most embarrassing thing she had done that year! We laugh about it now! 🙂
But I’ve seen the same attitude from other people in other situations. There are warnings of difficult times ahead: concerning medical symptoms, worrying tensions in a relationship, financial difficulties looming- and they say:
“Just have faith and it will all be ok.”
“Just pray and God will heal you.”
“Don’t worry- God will sort it out.”
I know they mean well, but nowhere does God promise an easy life, even if we are following him. Bad things happen, even to Christians, and most of the time the cause is not a lack of faith.
Our hope cannot be in God stopping the rain. He can, but that doesn’t mean he always will. Sometimes the warnings are accurate; sometimes the storm does come.
Our hope has to come from the fact that no matter what we face, he is with us in it, and that ultimately he has overcome.
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)
Great post! I help lead a youth group for teenagers at my church in Ohio and I can imagine what it felt like to stand in that rain with all the questions and complaining that I’m sure each one contributed. Then again, that’s the way of youth groups isn’t it? If it isn’t one thing it is another. But those of us in that field wouldn’t trade it for the world. The hardest days are also the most rewarding. Rain gave your group an opportunity to pray together and learn a life lesson the tough way. That’s what it’s all about!
Visiting this week from FMF! I hope you have a great weekend!
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Thanks for visiting! The teenagers were actually remarkably good about it considering how wet and miserable they must have been feeling! It’s the leaders who still bring it up! 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend too!
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I love this message, Lesley. So true that “Our hope has to come from the fact that no matter what we face, he is with us in it, and that ultimately he has overcome.” Thank you, and have a great weekend. Love and hugs to you!
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Thanks, Trudy! Sorry for the late reply- it’s been a busy weekend but it has been good. Hope your weekend has been good too. Love and hugs!
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Great post! I’m glad they later apologized to you. They should’ve listened to you.
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Thanks, Tara! Yes, I’m glad they realised in the end!
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God gives us common sense for a reason doesn’t he? 😊 Glad it all worked out and now you have the perfect story to remind us all that our hope is in the Overcomer! Loved this Lesley! Cindy
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Thanks, Cindy! Yes, it wasn’t so pleasant at the time, but it is certainly a memorable lesson looking back!
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Loved this, Lesley.
I hold to this – rain ain’t nothing but wet, and what we lose in the fire, we’ll find in the ashes.
Cool runnin’s, mon.
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Amen!
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Thanks, Andrew!
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I love this post. In every area of our life there are signs of rain or other natural disasters. God calls us to watch as well as pray.
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Thanks, Calvonia! Yes, so true- we need to pray but it doesn’t mean God will always change things as we hope. It’s important to keep our eyes open to the signs around us and use common sense too!
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Amen!
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Good reminder, so many times that happened to me where people would say have faith, pray, its all going to be fine, felt like I was a loser because I didn’t have enough faith But God he comes to comfort and reassure so often. How lovely to not be alone..
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Sorry you have been hurt by people saying those kinds of things to you. I’m glad you have known God comforting you and reassuring you that these things are not because of a lack of faith.
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Thank you for stopping by my blog recently! I enjoyed this post. I am glad the kids were good sports and the other leaders learned from it. There is so much in the Bible about looking and planning ahead. We can’t ignore the warnings God sends our way and then expect Him to overrule them, though sometimes He does. I loved this especially: “Our hope has to come from the fact that no matter what we face, he is with us in it, and that ultimately he has overcome.”
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Thanks, Barbara! So true- we need to keep our eyes open to what is around us. Praying doesn’t mean God will always do what we want. Glad you liked the post!
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A bit of reality therapy for us all!
Our hope is in God–whether or not He stops the rain!
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Yes, we have to trust that God knows what he’s doing!
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Yes! Love this. You are exactly right. God does not promise to stop the rain. He promises to be there when you get drenched.
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Thanks, Laurie! Yes, I’m glad he is always there with us whatever we face!
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Amen, Lesley. This is such an important truth: “Bad things happen, even to Christians, and most of the time the cause is not a lack of faith.” Wonderful post, my friend!
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Thanks for visiting, Lois!
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YES! I have found this to be true. God is always with us–he doesn’t prevent bad things from happening, but he promises to walk through them WITH US. That’s huge.
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It is so comforting to know that he is with us through the hard things even when we wish our circumstances could be different!
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100 soggy teenagers, oh my! My respect for you grows by the minute, friend! May God continue to bless your ministry to our next generation …
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Thanks, Linda! The respect is mutual! And considering the circumstances the teenagers coped very well!
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I’m glad you had a much better attitude than I would. And you laugh about it now. I was convicted and challenged about how I would have been responding all day raining through the rain!!:(
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Thanks, Jennifer! I wasn’t exactly happy at the time but we made the best of it!
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What a lesson! Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I loved these words —-> Our hope has to come from the fact that no matter what we face, he is with us in it, and that ultimately he has overcome. Amen!
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Thanks, Mary!
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