It is God Who Brings The Rain: Frustrated in your circumstances? Why hasn't the dream happened? Yes, me too.

"But time and chance happened to them all," (Ecc. 9:11)

This morning, I watched a nice fall rain pour into my backyard.  It was soothing and pleasing.  Our dry grounds need it.

I caught a few rain drops in this image...

                                     

I looked back to my reading in Ecclesiastes 9, and stumbled upon today's Scripture verse.

"The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned; 

but time and chance happen to them all."

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I find this passage of Scripture affirming because for all my efforts successful or not, it reminds me that there is a greater One who is in charge of it everything.  It reminds me that the dreams of my heart that have come to fruition as well as the ones that have not, all of them lay in the hands of God. And if He sees fit, they will occur.

"The mere possession of speed, strength, wisdom, cleverness, and skill does not in itself guarantee success.  We cannot bulldoze our way through life, " (J. Stafford Wright*).  Wright goes on to say that there are proper times for each action and we must continue "to use our gifts in the light of what we think the future will bring."

As I watched the rains hit the ground, a thought occurred to me.

It is God who brings the rain, not I.  

There is no way that Candice can make or force the clouds to rain, but it is only God, His power, plan and will.  There is much comfort in that because I find myself continually frustrated by the "make it happen" push our world speaks.  There are so many major things I'd like to achieve, but absolutely can't on my own.  While I might be a catalyst, far be it from me to poof! bam! voilà! it's done!  Granted there are plenty of things that poof, bam and voilà can pertain to... but when it involves others, their thoughts, decisions, and a team full of efforts, the notion of "make it happen" can and is very much out of my hands.

It has been a huge struggle to leave my dreams in the hands of God.  I am really good at saying, "Ok, thanks for the surge of energy, I'm going to take it back and go try to get er' done." Swipe! There I go taking the dream again out of God's hands.  Then there was the season I just left it there.  It was peaceful until I got frustrated with that too.  So on again and off again it has been.  In His hands, out of His hands, back in His hands, back out.  Ugh.  Know the feeling?

I think we'd all admit waiting is INCREDIBLY HARD.  Whenever I have to wait on something or someone, I get really fidgety.  I can't just stand around waiting, I feel like I have to do something! So what do I do?

I find myself doing stupid stuff.  Or I find myself depressed and saddened about the situation.  Or I find myself being idle and in denial.  Or I go try to make something happen on my own.  But it's when I find myself doing the two things that will actually get me somewhere is when I find progress.

It's when I worship and prepare that I find peace.  It's when I look to God and say, "here you go" that I can trust Him to take it and do something with it.  I know that if it is meant to be He'll make it happen.  I lay down my desires and trust in His.  Then, I prepare.  I seek where He wants me and work where I feel called.  Typically, it's to go back to my drawing board and tighten the loose holes.

It's kind of like Noah preparing for the flood.  It took the man 140 years to build the ark for an event that had never happened before.  These people had never seen rain.  So, picture this older gentlemen building and building for an event that no one has ever heard of.  Can you imagine the ridicule?  The disbelief?  What about his own doubts, fears, struggles?  These aren't mentioned in the Bible, but since he was technically human, it seems like he'd face some of these.

But what do we find?  We find this aged man striving in his belief in God, worshiping by preparing; continually chipping away at the ark, building it one wood log at a time.

                                          www.rabbimoffic.com


So, if you struggle with a dream and are at the end (or way beyond the end) of your rope, just lay your dream down upon God's altar and see what happens.  Some dreams may end there.  Some dreams may begin there.  Either which way, there is an acceptance of what God wants over what you want.  This exchange is key, for it is the difference in striving against a dead end, versus peacefully and joyfully progressing through life.  Continue to worship and prepare one wood log at a time and see where He leads you.

For it is only God who brings the rain.  It maybe different how you imagine, but if it is meant to happen, it will happen.  Rest in this acceptance and find the peace to persevere. 

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Content and First Photo © 2013 Candice Irion. All Rights Reserved.
* (Wright, J. Stafford. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Vol. 5.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.)

Along the Way

I had to get out.  I needed it. The sun was shining. Perfect. So I did.

I had a goal: I wanted to get to the street that had beautiful houses on it.  That was my goal. I'm a drivin' person. I'm going for it. I will succeed.

It took longer than I thought. Way longer. Probably twice as long. When I got there? There was just a street. No climax and "ahh look at the beautiful house" moment as I expected.  I walked my tale off and my dogs paws off for a street, road and cars zooming by? What? Did I take a wrong way?
Nope. I went the way I planned.
What then?

Instantly my mind went into allegorical mode: "I wonder if this is what it will be like when I finally meet my goals of X, Y and Z?  If all I have been striving to achieve is going to met with a busy road full of traffic, hardship and no pretty house?"

I looked on the left: A stream with a bridge.  How nice.  I took my dogs down to check it out.   It was a pleasant surprise.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  I also inhaled a dose of caution when I pondered: what am I giving up just to get to my goal?  The thought alarmed me.  My mind itemized the different situations. Wow.  All that for a busy street?

Ducks quacked in the water catching our attention.  I walked along the shore line and tried looking over  the edge at our reflections.  One my dogs looked at her reflection and just as I was leading the other to look at hers, BAM! The edge eroded and in she fell! Agh!  The water was cold and her little sweater was now partly wet.  If she could talk, I'm sure she was saying: "Thanks Mom".  But she's a dog and guess what?  They love the water.  She shook it off and went along her merrily little way.  If that happened to me, would I really shake that off? Probably not.  Hopefully though, I would laugh about it later.

I realized then that we get really caught up in meeting our goals, checking off our task list and zooming through life that when do we experience the water?  When do we get outside and experience discovery? My likely answer is: "I don't have time for that." It might be your answer too.  And if that is, then like me, it's time for a change.

There is so much to discover along the way and we miss it because we are so focused on that dream, seeing that beautiful house, that whatever the goal is.  Just the other night, when my husband and I specifically took a different direction so I could look at the lights in the trees and walk through them.  Halfway down, I realized I was missing the whole thing as I gazed from shop window to shop window.  Dang! I wanted to start over.

But we had to press on and that's the crux in life.  Many times, we can't go back to when we were at certain age and do over.  We have to start right where we are.  So, putting all my eggs in a basket with this dream and goal, with all the lofty expectations I have, may not be the best course.  But what about changing those expectations to being watchful for what's along the way?  I sure don't want to miss that or exchange those experiences to meet my deadline or goal.  Because, in reality, it's the unexpected that we should be watchful for and meet with great expectations.  Along the way, anything can happen.  Hopefully, the goal will be met.  But, it may not be and is likely not to be what you or I expect it to be.  Ironically, it is the things you don't expect that will blow you away and change the course of your life.

My doggie finally dried off and probably in her puppy kisses said: "Thank you".  The water put a little extra bounce in her step.  And, I did get to see the pretty houses.  They just weren't where I expected.  They were along the way.

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect," (Hebrews 11: 39-40 NIV).

1.  What are your dreams and goals for your life?
2.  Dreams can be good things.  How can we protect the dream God gave us as well as the other blessings He's bestowed to us (significant other, children, family, house, giftings)?
3.  What could be in danger of being exchanged for your dream? (i.e. more time at work means less time at home, more weekends gone means less time investing into your loved ones)
4.  Recall a time when something unexpectedly pleasant occurred along the way of meeting a goal.  How did that change your direction?
5.  Recall a time when something unexpectedly devastating occurred along the way? How have you seen, or have you seen, God draw you closer to Him?
6.  What new perspective of life can you have if you begin to expect things along the way to your goal instead of just solely focused on meeting your goal?
7.  How does Hebrews 11:39-40 relate to today's story? How does it encourage you?



©2013 Candice Irion.  All Rights Reserved.