The refrain of James Taylor’s first big hit song repeatedly declared, “I’ve Seen Fire, and I’ve Seen Rain.” So have I, but I’ve seldom seen as much rain as we had on Sunday morning. According to my gauge, we had 7.2 inches. On Friday night and Saturday, we had 2.04 inches to make a grand total of 9.24 inches for the weekend. I’d say that Sunday was the “rainy day” that we hear so much about.
One couple said that when they were young they made a decision to save some money for a rainy day. A friend asked them how well they did. The man said, “By scrimping and saving, after a year we had enough money saved for a rainy day to buy an umbrella.” That’s better than getting soaking wet.
Having an umbrella handy for the rainy day is hard to do. The umbrella is usually missing when we need it. A husband looked out the window one morning and saw that it was raining. He asked his wife for an umbrella to walk to the bus stop, but she refused to give him one. She said, “You have five umbrellas at your office. You never bring one home.” Fortunately, the bus came soon, and he did not get very wet, but he knew that he would have a long walk in the rain to get to his office when he got off the bus. He looked across the aisle and saw a little Quaker who had a very nice umbrella. He knew the Quaker was committed to nonviolence so when the man got ready to get off the bus he just reached over and took the Quaker’s umbrella. While the Quaker protested, he did not offer any physical resistance.
That day at work the man got the five umbrellas that he had in his office and decided to take them all home with him. As he got on the bus with his five umbrellas, sitting in the seat across the aisle was the little Quaker from whom he had taken the umbrella that morning. The Quaker looked at him holding the five umbrellas and said, “Thou hast had a very good day.” Since we don’t have many Quakers around Booneville, there is no one from whom you can take an umbrella. You have to be prepared for the rainy day.
That’s the way life is. It wasn’t raining when Noah started building the ark. God had warned him that a flood was coming, and Noah began getting ready for the rainy day a long time before it ever arrived. So should you. You prepare by getting to know God on a personal level on sunny days a long time before the rain arrives. You get ready by growing a faith that is big enough for the storm.
Two old farmers were sitting on the porch, watching the rain pelt down, and this conversation took place:
“Whatcha gonna do if the river overflows?’
“Sit on the gallery and watch it go.”
“Whatcha gonna do if your hogs all drown?”
“Wish I’d lived on higher ground.”
“Whatcha gonna do when it comes on night?”
“Trust in God and hold on tight.”
That’s good advice for sunny days, as well as for rainy days!
