Waiting for Rain

The heat and humidity have been tough to deal with this summer. But weighing me down even more has been a long wait to see some answers to my prayers. In addition to my personal petitions, I've been praying for friends seeking employment in this tough economy, friends in need of healing, friends trying to sell their homes, friends who are close to completing a goal but haven't reached the finish line yet, friends ready to start a new chapter in their lives. When, Lord, when?

Recently I came across the following story at the Inspiration Point blog:

There were two farmers who prayed and asked God to send rain. It hadn't rained for quite some time and both were in need of it. One day, they were told “God will send the rain in time for the harvest.” The first farmer set about preparing his field for the coming rain. The second farmer did nothing. Guess who got to reap the benefit of that promised rain?

My aunt, a farmer with a talent for writing, shared this lovely description of the arrival of rain in an email recently:

This morning we woke up to the sound of angels singing: rain, blessed rain. It has been so dry here, lawns are brown, crops are shriveling. Farmers talk of nothing else. Now they will share to the 8th of an inch how much rain they got. We are thankful for every drop.

I want to encourage myself and others who are experiencing a dry spell that the rain we long for IS coming. Let's live our lives in anticipation of it and rejoice in its arrival.