Preparing for Rain

The winter had been cold and there had been little snow. Spring came with lots of sun, blowing dust and hard, cracked fields. The water table was low and local farmers feared a drought was in the making. Many wondered if it was even worth planting. If there was no rain, it would just be throwing away seed and labour.
Thomas and Will, two farmers in the community, were avid Christians. Each and every morning, they petitioned the God they served for rain and a fruitful harvest. There the similarity ended.
After morning prayers, Thomas went and met with local farmers down at the coffee shop. They talked about what it would cost to plant and lose the crop. Then home for lunch and he would chat with his wife about the talk around town and wondered when God would break the drought.
Will, on the other hand, ate his breakfast, picked up the lunch his wife had prepared, and headed out for a day on the fields. He ploughed up the fields after their winter nap. Fertilized. Chose his seed and went out and planted it. While waiting on the crops to grow, he made sure his barn was ready to receive his crop and his harvesting equipment was in good repair. Every night, he thanked God for the rain he believed was coming.
Two men, both believed in God. Both believed God was the giver of the rain. But which one was prepared for rain? Thomas who left his seed in the barn, or Will who planted his field.
If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields. He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer. (Job 5:8-11 NLT)
Our van has reached its point of endurance(308,768 kms). We have only driven when necessary. Non-essential trips had been cancelled. For going on a trip out of town, we felt renting was our only option. We have been praying for a new vehicle for eight months, but now it’s spring. It was time to prepare for rain.
We cleaned out the van. Vacuumed it; washed it inside and out. Checked to make sure all the pockets and nooks were empty. Physically the van was ready to leave.
When we moved to Belmont, we owned a mobile home which we needed to sell. We finally did sell it almost two years ago but it was at quite a loss. Since then we have been working hard at paying off the remainder of our loan, the equivalent of a mortgage. We needed the rain.
Over the past five years, life has been financially challenging. There were times we did not know how we would pay for food, medication, gas, van repairs and other necessities. We often felt we were in a financial drought and wondered when the rain would come. We look back and are amazed at how God stepped in and met our needs in so many different ways and using so many different people. But we were still waiting for the rain.
We want to let you know, the spring rains have begun. This week God has walked us through a path of his making. We pick up our new van in a few days. The noose of the loan/mortgage is gone. We had trouble sleeping the other night. Then it hit us. The stress exhaustion that has dogged our steps for so long is gone!
Do you feel like you are in a drought? What steps do you need to take to prepare for the rain? What fields do you need to plant? Begin thanking God for the rain that will produce a good harvest.