You know what it is like when you have planned to do something and then the unexpected happens and your plans fall apart.

Well this morning at Third Space was a bit like that.

What was planned? Well I will save that for another day, but let me just tell you that it would be a lovely thing to do in the sunshine, but NOT in the RAIN.

So although rain in this climate is not totally unexpected we had to change our plans and come up with Plan B. We tried to use the rain to enhance our worship.

I came across this song by a woman called Laura who wrote it after much prayer for her husband’s healing.

Laura Story – Blessings

search YouTube clips to listen to song and story.

The chorus of the song goes like this;

What if your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if trials of this night, are Your mercies in disguise?

We spent a few minutes walking in the rain after hearing the words of the song – using the rain to remind us of the cold, damp, disappointed feelings we get when things in life go wrong.

What struck me as I walked in the rain and raised my head to let the rain splash on my face was – the rain is not so bad if you are prepared for it.

Sometimes as Christians we feel that we are protected from catastrophe. That is wrong theology. Jesus never promised a life without problems. What he did was to experience the sort of things we go through for himself so he can understand and empathise with our suffering: Betrayal, poverty, humiliation, pain, death, homelessness, rejection, bereavement, anger, sickness, temptation, exhaustion and loneliness.

In fact he talks about suffering bringing blessing in the Beatitudes in Matthew Chapter 5

4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We thought of those who needed to know blessing in suffering and collected a raindrop for each person we prayed for.

Those people who we prayed for need friends, companions to walk with along the difficult road they travel – we shared bread and wine and used our companions liturgy.

Small Beginnings

“Things great have small beginnings. Every downpour is just a raindrop; every fire is just a spark; every harvest is just a seed; every journey is just a step because without that step there will be no journey; without that raindrop there can be no shower; without that seed there can be no harvest.”
William Wilberforce