RAIN.

I prayed for rain.

 

It seems so small, maybe insignificant.

But to me- it was an undeniable encounter.

One of those experiences where you are completely overcome with the reality of a God who is personal and intimate.

You see, I had recently been struggling in a ‘dry season’ in my relationship with God. In the spirit of full transparency, the Race is rich with incredible “I’m seeing God do some big stuff” moments, but also quite a few “ouch, Lord- this whole dying-to-self thing hurts.” This entire experience is refining. And the thing about refining is that it requires fire, but we rejoice in the testing of fire because

“the tested genuineness of our faith becomes purified and made to be gold so that it may result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

I have witnessed the power of God in testimonies of countless people I have met and seen lives changed for the glory of God. But the spiritual darkness of the world and heaviness of some of the other things I’m witnessing can lead to some discouragement.

The Race is an incredibly contemplative journey and The Lord has been working in my heart in some deeps way, helping me process how He has written my story for these 22 years up to this point.

And one of the things I’m realizing about my story that God is bringing to light-

I struggle to believe that I am truly, wholly, & completely loved by God regardless of my personal ‘performance’ or failures.

I want to make the most of ministry opportunities and live life to the fullest for Jesus, but feel like I fall so short most days. I’m still prone to fall for the whole ‘you’re not doing enough/God isn’t satisfied with you’ lie. You know, some of those classic tricks of the enemy where he tries to convince you that your standing with God isn’t simply based on the fact that He has loved you with an everlasting love, simply because He is love (Jeremiah 31:3).

I fell asleep a few weeks ago to the song “Lost in Your love” (Brandon Lake) & remember drifting off with a picture of me standing under a downpour of rain, singing, laughing & dancing with The Lord as He just poured out His love on me. I wanted to believe and be affirmed by God that I really could just be met by His love and that my own attempts and efforts weren’t necessary to receive His love- that I didn’t have to ‘reach Him’ before He reached me. The outpouring of rain represented a fresh outpouring of His love and I was just standing under the weight of it, being drenched in the reality of His overwhelming love.

I remember praying as I fell asleep, asking God to let it rain soon as a tangible reminder of His love for me and this world. This was significant and a big ask because it is dry season here in Chichicastenango, Guatemala (it rains 10/12 months of the year and April is one of the only 2 months it doesn’t rain).

………….

And the next day, in the middle of me sneaking away outside to get alone with God and talk to Him about what it means when He says ‘I love you’-

It rained.

First, I noticed the weather change, from perfectly sunny skies to dark clouds. I remember thinking, ‘hmmmm Lord would you actually do that?’

a few drops.
then, a downpour.

And I was overcome by the fact that the God of the universe just literally sent me a love message through a whole display of intense weather patterns. My team & I danced in the rain, singing & shouting “oh how He loves us” and the top of our lungs.

Growing up, my dad used to tell us kids how the Bible affirms rain as a blessing. My youngest sister is actually named after this concept of rain being a blessing in the Bible.

Some see rain as the antithesis of sunshine and the least favored of the two. We often associate rain with negative connotation (a rainy, dreary day) but I see it as a sign of God’s blessings. Rain might be associated with negative circumstances or challenges, but I am starting to see rain as the most blessed form of weather.

It’s a special thing between me and God, this rain thing. Actually, everytime we have changed ministry locations on the Race it has rained the day before and I believe it’s God saying “I have my hand on the next change & my blessing on this journey.” God loves to be personal and speaks to each of us in unique ways He knows will be significant to us. It’s one of those unique, personal ways that I’m learning God speaks to us. And He speaks to you in the same way. I encourage you to pray and ask Him to open your eyes to the ways He is saying ‘I love you, (insert your name here)’ all around you.

That rain was “I love you, Mak.”

And it’s His message for the world. He sees us. And He desires to pursue us. He will come after us and love us so tangibly, so intentionally.

The Cross is the message of love (if you want to know more about that, shoot me an email;)

 

In a world of striving and chasing, never feeling like we can do enough-

How incredibly beautiful and freeing to know that yes, indeed we can not do enough. and that’s why we need Jesus.

because only He is enough. He is enough to pay the price to buy you back from the distance that was created between you and God through sin. He is enough to change your name and identity.

and He l o v e s you, friend.
really. truly. deeply. personally.

 

He already went to great lengths to show it & He’ll keep doing it.

for me one day, it was rain. a picture that the God of the universe is heaping out an abundance of love that we don’t have to earn. all we have to do is stand under the weight of it and receive the

overwhelming, all-consuming, incomprehensible weight of glory.

so Jesus, let it rain. because when it does, it’s a reminder that

His love reigns.