Why We All Need to Walk in the Rain
I don’t remember the cause of my hurting teenage heart. It may have been an onslaught of teenage drama or a sliver of dim disappointment; a bout with unmet expectations or a barrage of unkind words. It may have been unchecked pride or raging PMS. But whatever it was, by the time I arrived home from school, I was a hot swirl of ache and tears.
I yelled at my sister and sassed my mom. I kicked a laundry basket and stomped across the floor. Then, after offending everyone in my wake, I announced that I was taking a walk. I stormed out the front door without noticing that the sullen sky was as angry as me. Soon raindrops tangoed with my tears zigzagging down my cheeks. And I wished the hurt in my heart would just seep into the puddles at my feet.
After a few minutes, I heard the slog of steps on the pavement behind me. Suddenly, my mom was beside me, her feet keeping cadence with my soggy shuffle.
She didn’t chide me for my outburst or minimize my pain. She didn’t assure me the sun would shine again or quote scripture in the rain. On that day long ago, my mom simply walked me home. One. Soaking. Step. At a time.
In the eleventh chapter of John, we find Jesus sharing steps with a friend in pain, too.
Mary’s brother, Lazarus, has died and she is heartbroken and angry. Her prayers haven’t been answered as she’d hoped and her life has been turned upside down.
When Jesus arrives on the scene, he doesn’t diminish her distress or sidestep her sorrow. He just weeps with her as they walk to her brother’s tomb.
“When Jesus saw Mary’s profound grief and the moaning and weeping of her companions, He was deeply moved by their pain in His spirit and was intensely troubled….As they walked, Jesus wept.” John 11:33-35 (The Voice)
What strikes me most about Jesus’ response to Mary’s grief isn’t what he says.
It’s what he doesn’t say.
Think about it– Jesus knows that Mary’s weeping will soon turn to joy. He knows that he is going to bring her brother back to life and all those tears will be trumped by cheers.
But Jesus doesn’t use the hope of a better tomorrow to avoid the imminent pain of today.
Jesus holds Mary’s heart before he heals it.
He enters her pain before he restores her peace.
To be honest, Jesus’ example challenges me to consider how I walk with the hurting people in my life. Grief can feel uncomfortable and awkward. And far too often, I find myself trying to fix someone’s struggle instead of simply sharing in their pain.
I’m not trying to belittle their grief; I just long to point them to the promise of resurrection instead of tarry in the crush of tribulation.
I’m not trying to avoid their disappointment; I just want to remind them that God works all things for good (Romans 8:28). And He turns our mourning into dancing (Jeremiah 31:13).
In my longing to love my people through pain, sometimes I find myself searching for the right words rather than praying for the right posture. I want to say something, ANYTHING to sow a seed of hope into their hurting hearts and mine. But sometimes the best thing to say spills from our humble steps, not our eloquent rhetoric.
In his groundbreaking book, The Listening Life, Adam S. McHugh reminds us that “Some situations are so heavy that only silence can support their weight.”
It’s a simple truth I can quickly forget when I’m stepping into someone’s storm.
But Jesus knows it well. In fact, his example in John 11 reveals that our imperfect presence often speaks louder than our perfect words.
The scriptures make it clear that we aren’t called to resolve someone’s tribulation. We’re commanded to share the gift of consolation.
“All praise goes to God, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort. He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardship of life so that we may draw from His comfort and share it with others in their own struggles” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (The Voice).
We, who have known the compassion of our Heavenly Father, are fully equipped to bring His comfort into any storm.
We don’t need to worry about what to say.
We just need to say yes to walking in the rain.
Because that’s how we walk each other home, one soggy step at a time.
Sweet friends, we may not be able to walk through the storm together face to face, but we can support one another in the rain. Leave us a comment if you could use an umbrella of prayer today. We’d love to pray you through!
I can’t even put pen to paper to even describe what i need covered in prayer. Thats okay, my God knows.
Thank you for standing in the gap for your readers above. Found you from Proverbs 31 fb page post.
Bonnie, I’ve just spent some time praying for you– asking God to speak to your heart, to meet you in your time of need, to encourage you in your current journey as only the Lover of your soul can. So glad you took a moment to linger here. You’re always welcome. And we’ll always pray for you!
Right now I’m 14 weeks pregnant and have been struggling with morning sickness for 10 weeks and I’m feeling very discourage. I also had a tummy bug last week which didn’t help anything so I’m just feeling so tired of being sick and just feel discourage as I wait for this sweet baby to come.
Alicia, always blessed by your words of inspiration. Your writing just flows & speaks to my heart. I’ve faced many situations lately when my words were inadequate to comfort friends. This confirms that walking alongside is best.
Blessings as you continue to inspire.
Please pray for my teenage son. He has been dropping his grades. He has a bad group. May God restore him.
Millie, I’m praying for your son! Asking Jesus to capture his heart and put a life-giving friend in his path. And praying for you, too, as you continue to walk with your son in wisdom and grace.
Blessed by your post & offer to pray! I would like prayer for my children & grandchildren. Praying for the other commentators also. love, in Jesus, Cynthia
Cynthia, I’m praying for your children and grandchildren right now… Asking Jesus to meet their needs and “wow” their hearts; to give them a passion for seeking Him first, to fan into flame their faith, to meet them in places of doubt and difficulty. And to bless their mom and grandma as well 🙂
My 95 year old dad is in his final days in hospice care…it is so difficult to say goodbye…please pray that God takes him soon in his loving arms to Heaven to be reunited with my mom and brother.
Thank you!
Oh, Margaret, I AM praying— for you and for your dad. It’s so hard to walk our loved ones to Heaven’s door. May Jesus hold you and comfort you and your Dad, too. And may your Dad’s home-going be saturated in peace.
Would you please pray for my son? He’s been going through difficulty since Jan 1st and it only seems to get worse with one thing after another. Except for one week of depression, he’s been growing closer to his Heavenly Father. I’m so proud of the way he’s been handling all of this adversity. But he has a long way to go. I would treasure your prayers for him! God has done so much restoration in our relationship! And I’m so thankful for that.
Thank you for your time and ministry!
Oh, Lela, I’m praying. I’m so sorry to hear of yoru son’s struggles. I’m praying for break-through, restoration, and strength as he walks this difficult stretch of his journey. May God fight FOR him and be WITH him in sweet and special ways. And may He continue to keep drawing your son closer and closer to His heart.
Being in my senior years and since my husband’s death 3 1/2 years go, I’ve decided to down size my house and move into a condo. Too many unpaid bills with this house. It will happen in a few weeks, and some concern about the move, which I believe is common.
Also, i developed a muscle spasm in my neck, probably due to my packing up. This has brought my blood sugars up because of all the medications I’ve had to take. Another concern.
Your prayers for these concerns would be greatly appreciated. I know God is with me all the way. That is what uplifts me.
Thank you,
In His Light and Love,
Joan
Joan, You sure are facing a lot of change right now. I’m praying for God to wrap you in peace, to heal your body and to bring your blood sugars down as well. Praying, too, for a smooth move. May you see tangible proof of the Lord having gone ahead of you and may He fill your condo with the sweetness of His spirit and the warmth of His love.