Dancing in the Rain

At this time of year, if you ask a young child what they are getting for Christmas they will be filled with excitement and expectation.  They haven't received anything yet, but they are filled with joy and begin to jump up and down with excitement as they tell you what they going to get.

Everyone loves to see this innocent joy in a child.  But at what stage of life did we lose that?  Somewhere in life's journey from childhood into adulthood we lose that excitement and expectation and begin to look at the problems, challenges and burdens of life.  We all experience some kind of pain, disappointment or rejection - 'that's life' we say.

But God has made a way for us to enjoy life again.  After all that's the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  Yet so many fail to enter into the joy of their salvation.  So many of God's children are cast down with heavy burdens.  Jesus said 'come unto me all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest'.   Yet we struggle on with 'life' trying to make it through and hoping that things will get better someday.  God has given so many great and precious promises and has given every one of his children the access through Jesus Christ our Lord.  He is our Great Shepherd.

Something I have learned to do is to praise him in the storm.  I used to get so stressed and worried that I couldn't think straight, couldn't sleep properly and just ended up feeling in a total spin.  Although I never let go of my faith in God or my walk with him.  I struggled to enter his rest and experience his peace.

The Holy Spirit gave me this song, at a time when I had felt totally overwhelmed and was forced to take time out.  I was both physically and mentally exhausted.  I thought to myself - I can't afford to rest - I have so much that I need to be doing.  But I had no other choice - it was rest now or crash.  I remember thinking to myself  'I need to feed on God's Word'.  So I would read as much as I could, but it's not easy reading when you are mentally exhausted.  So I would listen to teaching - even though at first the words would cause tears to come.  But I started to see things differently than before - I began to see that My God was with me and his promises were real and mighty.  I had been tricked by the circumstances and blinded to the goodness of God. The more I began to focus on Jesus - joy and strength was rising in me.   I began to rejoice that Jesus had already done the greatest miracle in my life.  He had died in my place and had paid for all my sin, and when I had called on his name and accepted him as my own personal Lord and Saviour, he had made the way for me to be accepted and adopted into the Kingdom of God.  The Bible puts it this way - 'we have been made heirs of the Father and joint heirs with the Son' the children of God.  So instead of giving up under the stress of the storm around me I began to rise up and rejoice.  Things started to change around me as I kept my focus on my Heavenly Father and his promises.  Thus the words of the song - I'm dancing in the rain - only now it wasn't the rain from the storm it was the rain of God's goodness and love.

I want to encourage you today that no matter what storm is raging around you - or how difficult things seem to be - There is a way out, there is a way forward.  God promised to make a way through the mountains and a way through the seas, and to place fountains in desert places.  If you lift your eyes up to him and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see clearer and to put a new song in your heart.

Many times we are waiting for the storm to pass before we rejoice - but like the child who gets excited the moment their parent tells them what they are going to get for Christmas - even though they don't see it or have it yet.  We can be like that with God - when we see what his desire for his children is - we can begin to rejoice - even though we don't see any change or evidence yet.  This is what faith is - the evidence of things not yet seen.  We serve a mighty God who is able to do amazing things for his children.

Does this mean that we will never have any more problems?  No - it means that we can overcome and know that we will come through stronger.

Maybe you are reading this and haven't yet received Jesus as your own personal Saviour, or maybe you haven't been walking close to him as you know you should.  The bible tells us that Jesus will not turn anyone away who calls out to him.  You can call out to him today and tell him that you want to know him more, that you believe he is the Son of God and tell him you are sorry for all your sins.  Ask him to come into your heart and life and wash you clean.  The bible says when we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is the Son of God we shall be saved.  Speak to someone you know who is a born again believer, and they will help you to find a bible believing church where you can get support and be able to learn more.

I pray that this song encourages you today. xx Audrey