These Rainy Days of the Soul

The rain falls outside. I hear the constant pattering against my windows, and I peer out at a world of grey dreariness. How can one day be so beautiful and sunny and then the next turn into something so gloomy? But as I sit here, I try and think deeper and wonder harder. Why? Why does God send these rainy days? I love the bright, flower days of Spring as the world blooms into a picture of true beauty and life. Bees buzz and butterflies dance as flowers share their fragrance. The sun shines and warms the earth as little tiny bugs busily go about doing bug things. Birds sing and fly together happily as dogs and cats roam about enjoying themselves. But on these rainy days, I do not hear the sweet sound of birds singing; I do not even hear the calls of the gulls down by the pier. All is silent and still except for the rain that pounds the earth. 

I suppose and think and wonder. Without these lifeless, dreary, rainy days I know that Spring would not come because the flowers need this life-giving moisture in order to bloom. They need this rain so that they can grow and find nurishment for their roots. All this rain is preparing the soil to produce life and soon I will see the results, but not right now. Indeed this is a lovely picture of our spiritual life as well. For even as time brings each new season so also we go through spiritual seasons of the soul. I love the Spring and Summers of my soul when I feel life and vitality flowing through me, and Christ seems so real and alive inside my heart. I don't understand why winter must come. I feel so dead and lifeless to spiritual things. The rainy-soul days are hard to bear, but they are actually the very days that God uses to bring about the sunny spring days of our soul. Without spiritual rain, we would have not spiritual flowers growing and sharing their sweet fragrance in our lives and others. We could not be a blessing to the world around us if we did not have these hard days of the soul. And that is quite a thought to think.  

"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" (1 Corinthians 4:16-17)

Oh, let these words of truth just transform your thoughts! They speak life into my soul, especially on these rainy days. Sometimes I struggle wondering why I go through these times of spiritual deadness it seems. Have I wandered from the Lord? Have I done something wrong for me to feel so spiritually lifeless? Where is the fruit I long to see? Where are the wild roses of joy that I love to smell along the path when I walk down by the water? Where are the buttercups, daises, daffodils, and tulips of faith, hope, and love that I long to see blooming in my heart? Why must this rain persists and these clouds hang over my soul?

These days are hard to press through. But God whispers His love in my heart and tells me to press on; don't quit! The spring days are coming, but first these rainy days must come to prepare the soil of our hearts to produce life. God's love has not changed and you have not done something wrong. These rainy days are days of blessing indeed because they "produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever" (2 Corinthians 4:18).

So I do not sit here watching the the dreariness outside or focusing my strength on listening to the raindrops pattering on my house. I do not sit outside, and let myself get soaked and miserable. No! I stay in the Shelter of God's love and hide myself in who He is for "The name of the Lord is a strong fortress, the godly run to Him and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). I content myself with who God is and what He has done for me, and I do not worry about the life I do not see blooming in my soul. I focus these soul-eyes on the Life Giver and find joy that in His good time, once the soil of my heart is prepared He will cause the flowers to bloom and I will see the sun shining and I will hear the birds singing. God works in seasons and the season of preparation is just as important to Him as the season of seeing the results of His preparation.

As I remain in my Shelter---the Shelter of God's love and compassion for me---I busy myself doing so many things. Just as I busy myself today cleaning, washing the dishes, finishing some crafts I started, reading, writing notes of encouragement; so my soul also busies itself with "indoor" pursuits. Clinging to a verse of Scripture, feeling the pain of hoping in the Lord (kind of like the pain of doing those awful flutter kicks when I am exercising), waiting and learning to add a little joy more and more each new day, going through and cleaning my heart before the Lord (and never try to do any heart cleaning without the help of the Holy Spirit because it is quite impossible if we try it without Him), forgiving others and putting aside all bitterness, confessing sin and putting on the joyous garments of thanksgiving, and dreaming and planning for those warm, spring-soul days that are right around the corner. What comforts me most on these rainy days is knowing that seasons come and go and Spring will certainly come just as God causes the sun to rise. Spring cannot stay away forever and in God's perfect time He will bring the spring that you long for and your soul will indeed blossom. But do not try and escape these rainy days of preparation because you need them. I need them. God has chosen them to bring about a beautiful work of life in our hearts. So let us embrace them as gifts from our Good Giver, and let us absolutely not fix our eyes on them and stay at the window staring. No, let us get dressed with the clothes of thanksgiving and be about the work of the Lord for their is plenty of "indoor"work for us to do. And the nice thing is that we can send lovely encouragement to others just from the inside our Shelter. And encouraging others is perhaps the most encouraging thing that we can ever do for oursleves.

So hold fast to these verses from 2 Corinthians and remember that Spring is coming! These little thoughts help me and I hope they help you too...these little pictures of God's amazing work. And remember that God truly is faithful to complete in us the good work which He has started (Philippians 1:6).