Old Man Winter won the weather battle today. Mother Nature has managed to keep temperatures in the high forties but the old man controls the night as we drop down to 19 degrees. Going to be a three dog night but I’ve only got one dog. Guess Penelope and I will hunker down under a pile of blankets. Our first morning walk was damp and misty and cold but I was cheered by the bright yellow little dandelion, left by Mother Nature for Old Man Winter to find, and the flock of handsome crimson cardinals and their velvet brown mates. A beautiful winter morning under a faint aqua sky of melted vanilla ice cream clouds.

Late afternoon the sky was too thick with cigar smoke clouds to see the glorious sunset but I know it was a wondrous rendering of the day’s demise. Mother Nature’s paintbrushes stroked a sky full of a rainbow’s colors and sent the sun down the hidden horizon on the arm of Father Sky. Ever the gentleman, Father Sky held a large black and white pink polka dotted umbrella over the sun, his tailored gray wool trench coat and matching hat keeping him dry. The sun was clutching the collar of a beautiful long pink cashmere overcoat, sophisticated high heels dangling from her fingers, trying to stay under the umbrella, dodging puddles in her sensible hot pink rubber duck boots. Mr. First Quarter Moon laughed, as he watched the sun and Father Sky splash down the horizon, waking the stars who twinkled with giggles. Wish I could have watched them this afternoon.

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.” —John Updike

I can hear the cold rain symphony playing through the bamboo forest tonight, the wind chimes’ tintinnabulations playing loud solo parts, off-key and out of tune. I think God can be a metaphor for rain, his blessing raining down on us, spiritually feeding our soul with his love and light. In scripture rain is seen as a symbol of God’s grace and mercy essential for our spiritual and physical survival. God commands the clouds pour forth with rain. Deuteronomy 32:2 reads, “Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” Rain sustains life just like God’s love sustains us when we face times of drought in our faith. Rain can also represent the Holy Spirit’s ability to refresh our faith, cleansing us of doubts, helping our faith grow and deepen.

As a faithful Christian, we need to nurture our faith everyday. Thankful prayer should be an active part of each day. Nothing is too trivial to take to the Lord in prayer. We ask and he will eventually answer. We may not like the answer he sends but as time goes by we realize he really does know what’s best for us. God wants us to rain our kindness and understanding on others, using our actions and words to bring others to Christ, helping them find their way to be part of God’s family.

Rain is a sign of God’s faithfulness in caring for us and the earth, the rain showers pouring out God’s goodness. Hosea 6:3 reads, “He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” Just as the rain revives the ground’s thirst, God’s rain refreshes our souls. As you listen to the rain on a rainy day, be thankful for all the blessings God has rained down on you and send God a simple prayer of gratitude.

“Our confidence in God should be strong; and when we need it most, the blessing will fall upon us, like a shower of rain.” — Ellen White