Pray for Rain

Two nights ago, Austin finally got a small amount of much-needed rain. Now it is finally actually raining. Rain has been hard to come by this year for pretty much the whole state of Texas this year. When I used to live in Abilene, long droughts were also pretty common. Praying for rain was a very common occurrence there, partially because rain was scarce, but also because a big part of Abilene’s economy is dependent upon agriculture. 

When I lived in San Antonio, one of my roommates was a beekeeper. He would pray for rain because the health of his hives depended on it. Without rain, the flowers would not bloom and the bees would not produce very much honey. This has been a tough year for his honey production.

For the most part, it does not seem like my life changes much when it does not rain. The biggest difference might be that I decide to take the bus instead of riding my bicycle. Although it is likely an illusion, I do not feel much dependence on life-giving water from the sky, because it still comes from my faucet.

In Matthew 9:18-34, Jesus encountered several individuals who understood dependence. One was a man whose daughter had died. Another was a woman who was continually bleeding internally, leaving her a childless outcast from society. Then there was the blind and demon-possessed. For these people, there was no medicaid or free service clinic. They basically had two options, healing from God or continuing in their lives of despair.

I think it is easy in this age of technology to forget about our dependence on God. A farmer hoping for clouds is very aware of being dependent and having very little control. Although our lifestyles are likely to be different, we must realize this truth; every breath that brings oxygen into our bodies is a miracle from God.