Rain

Okay, I have another Sara Groves song. I promise this can't go on forever (there's only so many songs to quote). But it's certainly true that I am heavily influenced by music, for better or worse. I think in this case it's for better.

Anyway, I'm trying to wrestle with trials and temptations, particularly my response. I've meditated on James 1 over and over again:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
...
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
-- James 1:2-4,12-15 (emphasis added)

Perseverence. Endurance. I think of a marathon -- for the entire length of the race, the runner just has to keep going. At any point, he could make a one-time decision to stop, but in order to finish the race, he must continuously choose to endure the difficulty and press on to the goal. On a related note, this is part of why I have no hair: shaving takes a one-time decision, but it takes patience to grow it out (not that I particularly want to do this anyway).

So what does all this have to do with rain? The very pain of the work-out is actually a good thing. The sore muscles the next day indicate that they're being actively transformed into stronger muscles. I've been listening to this song a lot in the last few days:

Call it what you will, I call it rain
When troubles come and pan against my soul
Go in if you like, I will remain
And let the washing waters make me whole

Just when I'm sure that I can't bear the rain
A tiny leaf starts pushing through the ground
In a place where the soil was too dry to sustain it
A new tiny flower can be found

Once I was stuck, I thought things would never change
And I watched that cloud pass through the sky
And right before my eyes it took a different shape
And I knew, so would the clouds in my own life

And the flowers come to show
That all that rain was helping me to grow
-- Sara Groves, Past The Wishing, "Rain" (1994)

So I know what I have to do (I've known for ages) -- when the rain comes, I need to stay outside and endure it, rather than taking the easy way out and running for cover. The rain is good for me, but only if I continually make the decision to bear it.