Sunbeams and Raindrops
Last Saturday seemed to be one of those days in which the TV weatherman’s forecast of “scattered, occasional, light showers” was completely correct. There was some light rain in the morning, clearing skies, and a repeat performance around noon. Later in the day, I needed to run over to church, and went from a pelting downpour in Marion to a bone-dry parking lot at St. Andrew. The rain caught up, however, and made its usual commotion on the skylights while I was inside. By the time I came back outdoors, the sun was beaming down on a wet parking lot. Aren’t you glad you live in Iowa?
Right then I thought to myself, “There’s got to be some devotional material in a day like this.” I thought of the various times tears and laughter are mingled in our lives. We’ve all laughed until we had tears in our eyes, and probably smiled or even laughed through tears. There are times when we’re so very sad, so filled with a sense of loss, and are so sure there won’t be any smiles or laughter in the future. But God understands our pain, acknowledges the hurt, and sends us comfort. How many times have you attended a funeral or visited with someone who has experienced a loss, and through the sorrow some happiness bubbles up? We crave balance, to have the good even out the bad, for joy to counteract sorrow.
Grief is never to be trivialized, but we Christians do not grieve as those who have no hope. As Paul writes to the Romans, “I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come . . . nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (chapter 8:38-39) He is always with us, whether we’re laughing, crying, or both.
So . . . do I need an umbrella or sunglasses?
Your Friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers