It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, Good God’s Restoring

I just love to watch God when He astounds me like this. On the surface, this story sounds sweet and kind.  Read on, and it dives much deeper …

There was a drought in Israel this year, but from the day after I arrived it has rained and rained. It has become a normal winter in this part of the country, where it can rain for weeks on end. In South Carolina, until I left, the rains were unusually strong, almost torrential some days.  

Rain coming to a potentially drought-stricken area tells me I serve a good God who brings good blessings. We praise God who answers prayers about weather.  But I hadn’t prayed for rain. In fact the weather in South Carolina had made it difficult for the builders. These deluges are simple seeming examples of an amazing pattern in my life. 

It began like this. Before I was officially introduced to Yeshua, when I knew Him in my own way as I imagined our relationship should be, I was living in the high country of Colorado. It was summer, hot and dry. There was a major fire in the north west corner of the nation and many states, including ours, had sent firemen up there. When a fire broke out near our town the state told us they had no more firemen to send. They told us to evacuate if it became dangerous. So I went around, from one person to another, telling them to pray however the Lord led them, because God was going to put out the fire. (The fact that I was living with my boyfriend and doing whatever felt right in my own eyes was not a concern of mine, nor apparently of God’s, in how He protected me during that season. He protected me from so much during that time.)

So, at the end of day one, there was one cloud in the sky. On day two it rained all day and night, without any weather front coming through. On day three the fire was out. Amazing. Years later, when I returned for a visit, all the houses had burned down on my street except for the house I had lived in. Another fire had come through but not a tree on my property had been singed. Everything was as it was. 

This pattern was repeated twice more in my life. 

One time the Lord directed me to travel from New Mexico to the California coast on a specific date. But a fire had broken out and all of Southern California was aflame. I was appalled because His instructions were not changing.  I asked Him just how He expected me to do this and He told me, “I will direct you. You will take the roads I give you. And the fire will go out before you.” He took me on one little dirt road after another and everywhere I went there were smoldering smoking ruins. The fire appeared to have gone out just before I arrived. By the time I got to the West Coast California was no longer aflame.

Another time I was ministering in Tasmania, in Australia. The entire continent was on fire. I was at the microphone to share a poem. But instead, the Lord accused all of us of paying more attention to the arts than to the nation’s dire need. So I directed everybody to pray. I told them that the Lord was going to bring down rain throughout Australia that night and put out the fire. Most of the adults rolled their eyes, but the children stared wide-eyed. 

Then it began. It rained all over the continent that night and the fire was mostly put out. About a week later, when I could again smell smoke, I prayed again and this time the rains took out the rest of the fire.

When I was living in Colorado, the firemen never succeeded in putting out the fire in the Northwest. Eventually God did it when it rained. Only GOD puts out our fires. 

My boyfriend’s last name was Raines. My last name was eventually Raines too. I had faith in God to do what seemed impossible and God honored that faith. He honored that childlike faith throughout all my life.  His Rain and the Wind of His Spirit (Wendy) have followed me wherever I have gone. 

For what do you have faith in God? What of His Goodness follows you wherever you go?