When It Rains, It Pours...

Many of you have either heard of or used the famous saying, “when it rains, it pours.”  Since being down here in Mexico, I have come to find this statement to be incredibly true, both literally and figuratively. 

Right now, we are literally in the heart of the rainy season.  Any of you who have been down here for a visit or mission trip between July and September, know how powerful, beautiful, and intense the thunderstorms can be.  This year, however, has been quite interesting since it has hardly rained.  Nothing like in the years past.  Some are fearful that they might lose some of their crops due to this lack of rain.

Now to the “figurative” side of the statement “when it rains, it pours.”  Dictionary.com states it like this: “misfortunes or difficult situations tend to follow each other in rapid succession or to arrive all at the same time.”

This past week, we have definitely experienced a rapid succession of misfortunes and difficult situations.  In the past seven days, we have had one of our vans break down, our stove quit working, our washing machine break, and the pump at our water well give out.  So, in just a short period of time, it has felt like we are swimming in a series of unfortunate events.  This can be incredibly discouraging, defeating, exhausting, etc.  And yet, somehow, light shines through, a new day dawns, and things end up working out.

We were able to tow our van and get the wheel bearing fixed.  I found the washing machine part we needed on Amazon.  Our stove, unfortunately, will not be cooking for us anymore, so we will be looking for another one.  Our well pump?  Well, that is a whole different story that we are praying will be resolved within the week.  Fortunately, our guys down here and a visiting missions team have been working with a borrowed trailer, water tank, and the use of our neighbors’ well (who are graciously allowing us to use their water to fill up our tanks).

So I guess in the end, it does at times feel like when it’s raining, it’s pouring; both literally and figuratively.  But, thankfully, there is a calm after the storm, and things get better, and life will continue, and we get a chance to be amazed at how our God leads us through!

"And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he (Jesus) was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’  And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’  Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’” (Matthew 8:24-27)