It was supposed to rain.
All week before I went to bed, I looked at the weather forecast. It always said there was a 70% or more chance for rain. Every morning, one of the first things I did was check the forecast again. Every morning it said rain was still possible, but now only 50% (except one day, and it rained that whole day.)
Music Camp has enough variables on its own, so adding rain possibilities to the list just increases the consternation factor of yours truly, especially with it being two years since we last hosted camp here (due to COVID last summer). So many things have to be checked off a list in preparation: teachers and helpers found, assigned, and equipped, rooms readied and decorated, music and motions learned, furniture moved, t-shirts designed and ordered, snacks and food bought and prepared. It’s a lot of little and big things. At least half of music camp operation is affected by rain—where to pick up, where to have recess, where to have snacks, how to have our fun activities on Friday be fun.
But, other than that first day, it never really rained. I had all my contingencies in place. I even changed the Friday activity because of how bad the weather looked. But it never really rained…no matter how much it looked like it was going to.
The children learned the story of Esther this week (kudos to Jeremiah Hill, Jonmark Beatty, and Will Horton for teaching Bible). In that story the Jewish people saw an impending storm coming on an upcoming day. They were fearful, yet they prepared with prayer and fasting. When the day came, their forecast had changed as well. It reminds me of the verse from William Cowper’s hymn, “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.”
No, there was a peace over our camp that was unusual, at least to me. I do thank you all for praying. In that peace, that feeling of “this is what is supposed to be at this time for these people,” God worked. Adults and teens built relationships; prayer was freely offered. I watched as two helpers dealt with a kerfuffle with two campers in a way that mirrored God’s love and mercy towards us. If those two children learned nothing else this week, they will have learned through that real-life instance of how God treats His people.
Sometimes I catch myself waiting for the rain. I plan my life around when or if it is going to rain. We must not fear the rain – we must rest in the mercy of God so we may rejoice in His blessings. We must also enjoy the sunny days without looking for the clouds in the distance. As the Beatles said, (bet you never thought William Cowper and The Beatles would be quoted in the same article,) “for tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the Sun.”
~ Jeremy Gaines
