Sonrise Magazine

Pouring Rain & Dry Grass

Photo by Donna Granados

Weeks of good weather, and today of all days, it was pouring rain!

Today was the day my Civil Air Patrol squadron was to have a rewarding track and field day. No drill and ceremonies, no memory work, no tests, no meetings, no studies, no saluting and standing at attention. Just good clean outdoor fun.

I sat in the outdoor shed I used as my study room and listened to the steady drumming on the roof. It was morning and there was still time for it to clear up. Maybe it would be ok.

I worked on various projects throughout the day while listening to sermons on our local Christian radio station. One in particular caught my attention.

This one told the story of a missionary back before the days of airlines. I don’t remember the details or his name, but he was on a ship on his way to do a series of meetings in some country. The captain of the ship had gone below to tell the missionary that they were closed in by fog and wouldn’t be able to make port at the scheduled time. They wouldn’t be able to go anywhere until the fog cleared.

The missionary was distraught, having never missed a meeting or even been late. He turned in fervent prayer to the Lord to clear the fog and help him get to his destination where many souls hung in the balance.

Soon the captain of the ship came back down to tell the missionary that the fog had suddenly lifted and they would make it on time after all.

I felt that gentle nudging from the Lord that this story was my answer. Wasn’t God the God of all creation? Ruler of all things? Hadn’t his Son calmed the wind and the waves when a storm came up that threatened to swamp the boat He and the disciples were in? And when they had cried out to Him in fear, hadn’t He asked them in amazement, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”

Deb’s Civil Air Patrol squadron patch

“Lord,” I prayed, “I know you love these kids. And you’ve sent me to C.A.P. to be a witness to them. You’ve blessed in so many ways as I’ve taught them, and you’ve worked so many wonderful things in their lives to confirm your words.

“They’ve worked hard all year, and we’ve planned so hard for this fun day, as a reward for their efforts. You are Lord of the whole earth, and all things are possible with you. There’s nothing too hard. I know it was you working in my heart to have this track-and-field day, and this was the right timing for it. Please show the kids how much you love them and care for them. Stop the rain, and dry out the ground so we can have this fun time.”

Somehow, I had a peace in my heart that everything would be all right. I continued through the day praising God and singing worship songs, even though outside it was still dark from the heavy clouds and pouring rain.

At six o’clock, I dressed in my fatigues, loaded my gear in the car, and headed for Sandpoint, the Naval Base where my squadron met. All the way there, the downpour continued and I could see the gray clouds far south into Seattle. “Lord, make a way. All things are possible to you. Let the kids see you for the great God I’ve told them you are. You’ve done so many great things to show them how much you love them. Rebuke the rain and the clouds in Jesus’ name. Bring the sun out and let it be dry at Sandpoint.”

As I got close to the base, the rain gradually stopped and the clouds started moving back! ‘The ground is probably soaked!‘ came the negative thought.

God is in control, I thought. He’ll do what’s best.

I drove through the gates and parked in front of our building. When I got upstairs, everyone was gathered in the main room, waiting to see what we were going to do.

“Ok, gang,” I called out. “Let’s gather up this stuff and head down to the field!”

The sky was perfectly clear above us, with bright sunshine pouring across the lake and the base area! I had the cadets stretch out in a long line while a couple of the officers uncoiled and stretched out the rope for tug-o-war. As they finished laying it out, I stooped down and felt the ground — it was perfectly dry!

“Before we get started, I just want to point out what I’ve been telling you all along. ‘God really does answer prayer!’ He really loves you guys and he’s given us a perfect evening for all this.”

The general reaction was, “Wow!”

We had a really fun time for the next hour or so. At the end of the activities, we gathered up the ropes and other gear and headed up to the building for the closing ceremonies. As we approached the building, the clouds moved back in and it started to rain again. The Lord had held back the rain long enough for us to get the job done!

Copyright © 1999 by Debra K. Matthews. Used by permission in Sonrise Magazine.