Missing What's Behind

          The other morning as I was driving I noticed that the sky looked dark and dreary ahead. There was no doubt that rain and possible storms were on the way. It seems as if there has literally been a storm every day this summer. I'm not a fan of storms, and I was dreading driving into yet another one. But then I glanced up and noticed in the rear view mirror that the sun was still shining brightly behind me. It was as if one of those cartoon light bulbs went  off in my head. That is exactly what my life has felt like lately. Everything seems dark and dreary on the road ahead of me. I've found myself questioning if this is really all a part of God's plan. If trials only make us stronger, then why do I feel so weak? If the rain brings the harvest to fruition, then when will we ever reap what we've sown? I've found myself missing the days behind. I miss the days when there was no doubting that I was exactly where God wanted me. I miss the days when I was able to worship freely and without hindrance. I miss the days when there was a fire within God's people that couldn't be contained or even put into words. Where is that joy? What happened to the days of sunshine? Then God began to speak. He showed me that the rain and the storms serve temporary purposes, but after every rain shower there is a rainbow and  beyond every dark cloud the sun will shine again. It was as if He were saying, "Beloved, just wait it out. This storm will pass like all the ones before. Don't give up hope. Just be patient and let Me do my work." So I'm going to take Him for His promises. I'm going to wait on Him, and in the meantime I'll praise Him in the storm. This BarlowGirl song is a perfect representation of my prayer of surrender...