Alva Review-Courier -

Jesus said in Matthew that it rains on the just and the unjust. I don’t know what category we fall in – I probably do, but don’t want to admit it – but we got some rain today. In fact, this week we are at about 2.5 inches.

To put that in perspective, that is as much moisture as we have received in 6-10 months.

We were actually out planting tomato and pepper plants and had to run for shelter into the pickup cab to not look like drowned rats. Then I had to put the pickup in four wheel drive to get out of the field and to tell you the truth I wouldn’t have cared if I had buried that sucker to the frame, I was just ecstatic that it remembered how to rain this week.

It isn’t like major cosmic events happened that created a great rain. All that happened was that God decided it was time to give us a rain. I don’t mean to belittle the act. I consider a quenching rain a miracle, and we all know who is in charge of those.

The farther we have gone into this drought, the deeper the despair rose for those in agriculture.

Agriculturists are perpetual optimists, but optimism was waning in the farming and ranching industry around here.

I’m not saying the drought is over because we sure can’t call that one yet, but just speaking for myself, I feel like a ton of bricks have been lifted off my chest. Now, if I could just get rid of the other two tons.

This set of rains has come too late for the wheat crop, but what it has set us up for is a summer full of grass and the chance to plant feed or millet and get a hay crop to feed the cows next winter.

While it was still raining I walked through the garden. I sunk to my ankles and was soaked to the gills and I have to tell you, I had the best time.

Looking at the plants that have come up and the ones we just planted, I got a little rejuvenated. I feel a little better, and the truth is things don’t look as dreary as they did last week. Doesn’t reality and the perception of it get us in trouble sometimes?

Because the truth is very little has changed since last week. Yes, we got a life-saving rain, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. Jesus will still bring us through to the other side, just like before the rain.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God told the people that if they humbled themselves and prayed and sought his face and turned from their wicked ways, then he would hear from Heaven, and forgive their sins and would heal their land.

Now, it was a good time when God told them this. They had just built the temple but God told Solomon that from time to time he may send judgment in the forms of drought, locusts or pestilence. However, if they followed his word, there was a way out of their troubles. Have we humbled ourselves and turned away from our wicked ways and prayed?

Earlier this year, prayer meetings were held for revival in our country. On one cold morning, a bunch of us stood in a wheat field and prayed for God to let it rain. This year more than most I think, people seem to have been looking to renew their relationship with our Savior. On top of that, more people I know have started a relationship with him. Which means to me, that we are headed the right direction, which is a huge miracle in itself, in my opinion.

Will it rain tomorrow or will it take another six months to get one? Time will tell. But I know prayer after prayer after prayer has gone up from this community and surrounding ones, humbly asking our Lord to let it rain and in his perfect timing and with his perfect plan, it rained. Praise be to God it rained.

In Philippians 4:6 it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

It’s really a great process. We pray and God answers our prayers. This week his answer has been yes, and we are so blessed by a faithful God.

I pray you all have a blessed week.