....rains

And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Luke 24:36

This past spring, when our lone gardenia bush was in glorious full bloom, I so enjoyed seeing it each day. Many mornings I would cut a couple of flowers to bring indoors and the lovely fragrance would fill the room.  And then the rains came. Overnight every single flower was washed away.

They had a beautiful marriage for sixteen years and two sweet children. Late one afternoon, coming home from the grocery store, she was hit broadside by a truck that ran a stop sign and killed her instantly. And then the rains came.

He was 28 years old with a promising future. One drizzly afternoon they found him. His parents were devastated. It was the day the rains came.

She went into work, business as usual, when her superior walked in and said, "Clean out your desk; I'm sorry but we are cutting back".  And then the rains came.

The rains don't last forever - although when we're in the midst of a storm, it surely feels like they will. It's a fact there is always a rainbow when it rains, even when we don't see it. The sun (Son) is always shining behind the heavy rain clouds.

The loss of the flowers on the gardenia bush was no big thing, just a miniscule blip on the radar, as was the lovely crop of wild sunflowers that were drowned and flattened by a flash flood. They did serve as an illustration, however, and a reminder that when we have our hopes and plans dashed we have a God of the 'suddenlies' who can turn things around Genesis 50:20. The Lord will redeem what has been lost for you Joel 2:25. It's a promise, we can count on it. Thank you, God. 

"...Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said." Luke 24:36

- sally i. kennedy