After many days of heat scorching the earth at the end of a long, hot summer, droplets of rain gave me a reason to celebrate. I adore rain. From slow, gentle small drops to downpours that drench everything in its path. There’s nothing better than snuggling inside on a rainy, cloud-filled day perched on the couch to read or watch a movie.
My favorite activity as a young girl involved riding my bicycle in the rain. There was something freeing in wheeling through puddles or feeling the rain wash over my body. It was cleansing and refreshing. Little drops of delight.
One day while running errands around town, rain splashed on my windshield. As I sat at a stop light and watched it run down the glass, I thought of the analogy of how God’s grace washes over us drop by drop. His undeserved love, favor, and salvation cleanses us. “Raindrops of grace” reverberated through my mind. As I continued to drive, that phrase kept repeating with different messages. Raindrops of grace…
Restore our weary soul.
Wash away the shame.
Deteriorate the disappointment.
Revive so beauty can bloom.
The rain also reminded me of an old hymn we used to sing at the small church my family attended in Durango, Colorado.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Later in the day I sat at my desk and watched teenagers disembark from the school bus. I loved that they didn’t hurry home to escape the downpour, but rather they stood in the middle of the street and danced in the rain. That’s what I want to do. Dance in the shower of God’s grace that saves, cleanses, and refreshes me.
Next time it starts to rain, journey outside to stand in the spray and envision each drop as God’s grace.
*“Grace Greater than Our Sin” by Julia H. Johnston, 1910.
About Shelley Pulliam
Howdy! (A girl from Oklahoma has to use this as her greeting) I’m Shelley Pulliam, executive director of Arise Ministries and former teacher of hormone-filled 8th graders. But my real claim to fame rests in my award as second grade spelling bee champ and my recent gun-handling skills as I train to competition shoot. It helps me be on guard when Satan comes knocking. I’m a voracious reader and can frequently be found at the theater enjoying movie marathons where my record stands at six in one day. I’m a single, never married, who loves to pour into children at every opportunity. Let me know if you have any for sale. You can connect with me on social media. https://www.instagram.com/shelleypulliam/