Rain drops Keep Fallin’ On My Head

Raindrops are falling on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothing seems to fit
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling

As a pastor, I officiate a lot of weddings; especially during the summer. Five years ago, having an outside wedding was an exception because the vast majority were done inside of a church building.

But, over the past few years I have noticed that the tendency is that couples want to get married outside. In fact, last year only one of the eight weddings were inside.

I personally like outdoor weddings because I think that everyone is more relaxed and seems to enjoy themselves. My general rule is that the couples just need to have a plan B just in case it rains.

Most outdoor venues have a plan B location, such as an enclosed pavilion, just in case the weather changes.

I have delayed the start time of a wedding in order to accommodate the happy couple’s desire to be wed outdoors as we waited for a passing storm to leave the area.

And since 1995 I have only had one rain out; and the venue had a large barn that was air conditioned on the hot rainy day, so no one complained; although it would have been nice to have done it outdoors…

I should say only one rain out until last week….

The venue we were at DID have a plan B so none of us was too concerned when all of the radar showed that a rain shower was moving in. I told the groom that I was willing to delay the wedding as long as we could should the storm hit us.

So I just did me some talking to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way he got things done
He's sleeping on the job
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep fallin'

We waited a short while and then realized that (perhaps) we could start “now” since all of the guests had arrived and were ready to go. The guests, knowing how important this was for the bride to be wed outdoors, grabbed their umbrellas and committed to sit in the rain if necessary.

I, too, committed, stating that I could drop my suit off at the dry cleaners should it get wet.

When I walked out to the area where the wedding would take place, I looked up at the skies while the sound person checked the live radar report. We conclude that we were about to be hit by a thunderstorm.

Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me
'Cause, I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining

As much as the rest of us were willing to have a wedding in the rain, it would ruin the sound person’s equipment; and so, we needed to move the ceremony indoors. The groom had a bridesmaid discuss this with the bride who agreed that indoors was the best way to go.

We all pitched in and moved the sound equipment indoors when all of a sudden, the winds shifted and the skies became very dark. Within a few minutes, the clouds gave way and dumped rain.

We were all glad that we had moved inside so quickly when the winds started to blow at sixty to seventy miles per hour as the rain beat on the walls and hail pounded the roof.

 

Soon there was water running into the pavilion as the canvas walls struggled against the tornadic winds and rain.

I am happy to report that none of the guests complained as we were all glad that we were inside and not outside when the storm hit. All of them seemed to be OK with another delay so that we could arrange the dining area in order to do the ceremony; and to wait for the deadly storm to pass through.

But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me
Won't defeat me
It won't be long 'till happiness steps up to greet me

After twenty minutes or so, the squeegees came out, towels wiped the chairs and tables, and we proceeded with the wedding as we watched the happy couple make a public declaration of their love and commitment to each other.

The social hour and reception went off without a hitch as the guests were treated to great food and fellowship; that is until another storm with tornadic winds and heavy rain hit a few hours later, right after the dinner and before the dancing began.

As so as the heavy rain let up enough, I said goodbye to the couple and walked in the rain to my car to drive home.

During my drive home, the storm still raged but I was able to see the cars ahead of me. I took some time to thank the Lord because I was grateful for the couple and His provision to them, and His protection of all of those guests.

Little did I realize just how protected we had been and the wisdom that He gave to get us to move inside (during both storms). On the news that night it was reported that one large area of Minnesota had sixteen tornadoes; several of which touched down and destroyed whole sections of towns.

And I am grateful.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2-4 MSG)

Praise the Lord!

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Sand, Rocks, and Trees

Recently, Cathy and I spent three days and two nights up on the North Shore. It is located on Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota. It is a destination that we have been going to over the thirty six years that we have been married; as well as the times when we individually went to that area prior to our marriage.

Our goal was to go from St. Paul to Grand Marais; staying in Two Harbors at night. The whole trip from St. Paul to Grand Marais can be done in a little over four hours. The from St. Paul to Two Harbors can be done in around two and one-half hours. We would have gone to Canada, but I forgot to take along our passports.

In the past, my goal was to get from point “a” to point “b” in a little time as possible; because I had a destination to get to. Over the years I have been trying to slow myself down and take in the scenery along the way.

Each and every time we discover something new and exciting that we hadn't seen before. This time was no exception.

What stood out to us this time was how many different beaches and coves there are on Lake Superior. It is almost as though someone had sorted out all of the rocks, sand, trees, and water into different beaches and coves on the entire shoreline of Lake Superior! 

Let me share with you some of my observations…

ROCKS: Each and every beach or cove has a different type, shape, and color of rocks. Some beaches have jagged rocks that are hard to walk on without the right type of shoes. Some have rocks so smooth they look as though someone came in and tumbled them in a rock polisher. Some have rocks that were all the perfect rock for skipping. Some were perfectly round made out of taconite or sand.

Some rocks were black; others were orange, gay, white, tan or red. Some were dull, and some were filled with stones that sparkled as they reflected the sunshine. Some areas even had rocks that look liked someone had gathered all of the variety of stones and melted them together into individual rocks made up of a composite of multiple types of rocks.

SAND: Each and every beach or cove has a different type, shape, and color of sand; from jet black to pristine white, as well as orange, gray, tan and red. Some of the sand was large grains, others were as fine as dust. Some was warm and some was cold to the touch.

WATER: Each and every beach or cove has a different type and color of water; from choppy to calm, from green water to almost clear. Some that was so clear that one could almost drink it and some was so covered in algae that one wondered why the water was stagnant.

TREES: Each and every beach or cove has a different type and color of trees; from pine trees to hardwoods. Some were tall and some were short; almost like bonsai trees! Some were fallen; others were so attached into the rocks that the very winter storms that ravage that area couldn’t remove them from where they were planted.

WILDLIFE: Each and every beach or cove has a different type of wildlife; from birds to fish to other types of waterfowl.

ATMOSPHERE: Finally, Each and every beach or cove has a different type of atmosphere. Some were crowded, while others were secluded. Some were covered in debris, others were pristine with absolutely no trash in any form. Some felt inviting while others gave off a feeling of uncertainty.

Some were harbors for large ocean-going ships, while others were places for kayakers to explore as they calmly paddled along. Some were littered with trash and even old ship wrecks that contained a reminder of who vastly different this great lake can be from one location to the next.

All of these different coves were on the same lake and yet each had their own unique things to offer to anyone who was willing to stop, wait, and observe. Each and every one came with the observation that someone had to have put this all together as part of some master plan.

My thoughts and take away:

Don't just go through this next week as though you are running a race; you already did last week.

Don’t go through this week thinking that you are alone and that no one is behind all of this placing into your life each and everything that is necessary to make you who you are called to be.

Don't just go through this next week as though there is no master plan for your life. Let God show you what He is doing.

Don't just get through this next week; there is so much to see that you won't notice if you don't slow down and enjoy the trip and soon you will be at thirty plus years wondering how the time flew by.

I'm praying for you and looking forward to your observations.

Missing My Daily Walks…

Today I miss taking walks with my children.

 

There is a coffee mug on my desk that was given to me by one of my daughters. On the mug there is a picture of her and myself taking a walk together, and looking at it has caused me to long for days of old. 

 

When my children were young, each day I would take a walk with a different one. Because I have six children, we had a chart to schedule each of them in rotation. It was a good opportunity to talk and listen and ponder.

 

Each child used their time with me alone differently than the other children. Each was unique and special and I enjoyed them and looked forward to them.

 

Some would be quiet as we held hands and spent time in each other’s company. Some would hit the sidewalk and not stop talking until we reached home (not sure who they got that from); using the time to tell me all their thoughts and something from the latest book they were reading.

 

Others would use the time to ask questions or plead their case for a new toy, to participate in an activity, or to go somewhere. 

 

As I write this blog, pondering conversations that took place on our walks, I feel somewhat melancholy wondering if they, too, miss taking them with their dad.

 

I am grateful that as a grandpa I have opportunities to take walks with each of my grandchildren, but had I known that one day my walks with my children would come to an end, I probably would have savored them or taken a long route to squeeze in more time with each of my children. 

 

And just as I have had other opportunities to take walks with my children at the cabin or on vacation or to a park with their children, it is still not the same as my daily scheduled walks with each of them individually.

 

And I think of what God…Abba Father…must have felt when His daily walks with His children, Adam and Eve, came to an end. In Genesis 2:19, we can read how God would take walks and bring things He had made to Adam:
 

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

 

In Genesis chapter three, we can read about the day when His daily walks with Adam and Eve came to an end. It is my submission that in the story God was (perhaps) bringing something to them to see what they would call it.

 

And, because they did what He had said not to do, they took their final walk in the garden. Actually they were led OUT of the garden; no longer being able to walk with Him in the Garden of Eden.

 

That’s the bad news. 

 

The good news is that just like I am able to call my children and set aside time to take a walk with anyone of them individually, because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we too are able to daily walk with God…Abba Father. We too are able to daily come to Him and spend time with Him and once again connect with Him.

 

Because of what Jesus accomplished by His death, burial, and resurrection, we too can have fellowship with Him on a daily basis.

 

And just like I have days like this when I think fondly of those previous times that I had spent with my own children and long for more; God…Abba Father longs for us to once again take a walk with Him.

 

Not sure where to start? Well, it’s not a formula; you simply need to ask or call out to Him.

 

In fact He is simply waiting for you to ask Him to go on walk and He has some things that He would love to show you to see what you think about them. He says in the Bible:

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

 

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