It seems that there is a lot of rain in the weather forecast for this week. This is typical of April and we know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers. “ This has got me reflecting on how God can bring beauty out of what we might consider dreary and unwelcome days. I was listening to an interview recently with a lady who is now 92 years old and has been writing and publishing poetry for most of her life. She is a Christian believer and delights in evidence of God in the everyday world around her. She goes out for daily drives with her husband and then comes home and composes poems out of what has inspired her on their drives. Could we be like that? Always looking for and anticipating the May flowers that will emerge after the April rains? Our approach to prayer could give us this kind of outlook. It could find us wondering what God will bring out of the heaviness of today that will clear the sky and lift our spirits and cause something new to flower. If we think of this confinement of the pandemic as an extended rain that will soften the ground and prepare for new growth in us, what might happen? Where might the beauty surprise us? Ezekiel 34:26 records God’s promise, “I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.” Some of you will recall the hymn “Showers of Blessing”. The chorus expresses, “Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need. Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.” This week when we take time for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER, April 28th at 1 pm we will be able to pray for the blessings that God can bring out of rainy days and we will thank God that even during this pandemic, we can be showered with blessings from God.
Our ever wise God, today we are thanking You that the outcome of showers is beautiful flowers. Likewise, we are thanking You that the outcome of what we are now experiencing can be something good in us and something good in our world. Thank You that this pandemic has reminded us that we are not in control. Even as we are not in control of the weather, we are not in control of the circumstances of our world. We have been having to learn to rely on You and to trust You for what each day brings. And God this has been a time for You to continue to grow patience in us. This has not been easy and we are still needing patience with ourselves and those around us. We have had to change our plans even as rain causes changes in plans. In staying home, we have had more time to turn to You in prayer. We have had more time to count our blessings. We have had more time to listen for You. If we grow weary of our own company, we can be in company with You. Loving God, this time of being kept in has also been a time for self-examination. There are attitudes in us that need to be surrendered to You. There are gifts that we have been given that have gone unused and we want that to be different. Rain does prepare the ground for plants to grow and we want to see this season being a time for our faith to keep growing. Forgive us for wanting to press ahead to what is next instead of living in this gift of now. Thank You God that You do have purpose in the showers. When we give thought to what we feel we are missing, please remind us of the blessing of Your promised Presence with us always. When we refuse to see the potential for good in different approaches to life that we have needed to adopt, please widen our view. God certainly there have been adverse outcomes of this pandemic for many. Help us not to overlook how people have been negatively affected. Instill in us a concern and compassion for others rather than complacency that we have not been affected in the same ways. God, if it is our hearts that need to be softened, then please do that work in us. We do recognize showers of blessing in each of our lives. We still struggle to see the blessings coming out of this pandemic, but we pray that we will not give up looking for those blessings. Our prayer is that we would find new poems to write in praise to You every day. When the blessing that has come out of the rainy days is not yet apparent to us, please keep us looking for those blessings. When all we hear is complaints, please help us to choose a different response. We pray that our desire to look for You and Your blessings every day no matter what, will influence and inspire others to also look for reasons to praise You. Thank You God for an ongoing supply of blessings that are showered on us, as we turn to You. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.