Today was a rainy day. Not a pleasant drizzle like on some fall days, but the kind of rain that makes you just want to hide inside nestled up with a good book. But today, I had a lot to do and the rain was inconvenient.  I had animals to feed, groceries to buy, and I wanted to go for another walk in the field with my kids. My instinctive prayer when I feel inconvenienced by the weather goes something like this, “Lord, would you allow the rain to stop so I can…”

However, something in me switched. Oddly enough, instead of feeling inconvenienced, I began to feel strangely comforted by the rain. And not just by the rain. I began thinking about the hurricanes passing through the south and the strong fall winds here in Indiana. I thought about glaciers, snow drifts, tornados and land-slides. What was it about all these things that suddenly gave me comfort? I couldn’t put my finger on it right away, but as I was driving, with the windshield wipers nearly on full speed, I felt a sense of security knowing that God is in charge of the rain. As the drops consistently tinkered on the roof, I became soothed by the cadence of my windshield wipers and began to feel like a child under the protective umbrella of a responsible and nurturing parent. The sudden awareness that God is in charge of the weather reminded me of His sovereignty – how He is the Parent and I am the child. I felt thankful that God doesn’t always change the weather because I ask Him to. God is the steadfast One and I am not. He doesn’t alter who He is and His ways for me. It is I who is to change my ways to Him. (Not that we don’t ever make requests about the weather or that God doesn’t change a plan because of our fervent prayers. I very much believe in pray and find it an awesome privilege that we can even talk to the One who controls the weather.)  However, this time, I found it very comforting that I had to adjust my plans to fit His way, not Him adjust His plans to fit mine. Why is that comforting? Because I’m a flawed human being who was born with a sin nature that is often unaware of how much I am controlled by my own selfishness.

If I had my way all the time, I’d be a mess. Thankfully God doesn’t often let me have my way. His ways are higher than mine. His thoughts higher than mine. His ways – though often confusing and hard to understand – are good because He is good. Perfectly good. Isn’t it comforting to know that God doesn’t listen to all the request that flawed humanity puts out there? Their requests could be not only to their own detriment, but to mine. And if God were to obey all the prayers of a fallen world, wouldn’t it seem that people are more powerful than He is? Like God was made for people and not people for God? And yet, even in His sovereignty He still chooses to serve flawed humanity. While we were weak, filthy in sin He died for us. Who are we to deserve such an act of love from a Sovereign God? Who are we to demand things from God as though He was made by us and for us? He is the Constant. We are the shifting ones. He is all good and all-knowing. We are, by nature, evil and limited to a human mind.  (Again, I am not at all advocating that we do not come to God with all of our concerns, requests, and needs. I could do a whole other blog on the importance and beauty of prayer and you would see that my passion for prayer is as strong, if not stronger, than the message I’m trying to get across today.)

My point in this blog is that God is not to be minimized to just another app on our phone that gives us what we want when we want it. He is a Sovereign, Holy God that says all things are created by Him and for Him. And what a comforting thing that is. It means that the earth is not run by people who do not have my best interest in mind. The earth is controlled by a loving Father who does have our best interest in mind; which is being conformed into the likeness of His Son Jesus. And the more we’re like Jesus, the more we’re living the way we were designed to live. And the more we live the way we were created to live, the more joyful and fulfilling life is.

So today I’m thankful for the rain. It did make driving more stressful. I wasn’t able to go for a walk with my kids like I had hoped.  However, I gained a greater sense of security and gratitude. The rain served as a beautiful and comforting reminder that God does not belong to me. I belong to Him.