Since my husband worked at home, I usually went to the grocery store by myself. However, since my husband was self-employed, he made his own hours. This time we went to the grocery store together.
After an hour shopping, we paid for our groceries and headed to the door to leave. Two or three other people were standing inside the doorway. When we got closer, we understood why. It was pouring rain outside. To leave the protection of the store was to be soaked to the skin in a matter of seconds, not minutes. Definitely not long enough for anyone to make it to their cars without needing a change of clothes. So, they waited, and we waited. And waited. And waited.
As I stood there, trying to be patient, I thought about taking seriously the exhortation in Genesis to take dominion over the earth, but did that mean rain? Well, Jesus calmed two storms in the Gospels. So, I thought what could it hurt to ask? We certainly weren’t going anywhere. So, I thought about what my prayer would be. After about what seemed like forever but was probably only five minutes, there was no sign of the storm lessening its fury. And more people with their bagged groceries had joined us at the doorway. So, I prayed.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. ~John 15;7
I wasn’t bold enough to stand in front of everyone. Or even suggest that we pray together as a group. Nor did I ask my husband to join me. I prayed under my breath, so, if nothing happened nobody would know the difference.
“Lord,” I began, “I know You are sovereign over the earth. I don’t know if this rain is what the earth needs. Only You do. So, I’m not going to ask You to stop the storm entirely. In Genesis, You give us humans dominion over the earth, so, would it be all right if You stop the rain for five minutes? Just long enough for all of us to get to our cars. In Jesus name.”
I said Amen and waited. It didn’t happen right away. In my imagination, when I said Amen, I saw a big hand turned the spigot in heaven shutting off the tap. In the minute or two it took for those last drops to hit the earth, I waited. Then I saw it, not in my imagination but for real. The rain stopped.
Then the human flood gates opened. People pushed their carts out the doors, scrambling to their cars seeming to know they only had a few minutes and not wanting to get caught in another downpour. And they were right.
My husband and I were in as much of a hurry as they were. However, our task of getting into our vehicle was no simple one. A quadriplegic, my husband couldn’t help put groceries in the van and jump in the car. I had to open the double doors on the side of the old full-size Ford van, push the button which lowered the ancient wheelchair lift at a snail’s pace; first from its vertical position inside the doors of the van to the horizontal position level to the floor of the van. Then I had to hold down another button to lower the lift to the ground.
As he maneuvered his chair onto the lift, I had only enough time to open the back of the van. I returned to the control panel, held down the button which now strained under the added 350 pounds to lift man and his chair level to the floor of the van. As he maneuvered into his position, I loaded several bags into the back of the van. Moving as quickly as I could, I climbed into the van, grabbed the first of four straps needed to secure the wheelchair to the floor of the van.
Finally securing the last strap, I climbed out of the van, held the button to raise the squealing lift into the van and slammed the doors shut. I ran to the back of the van, put in the rest of the groceries and shut the doors, pushed the grocery cart to the nearest Cart Corral, ran to the driver door, and hopped in. No sooner had I slammed my door than I knew my five minutes expired. The storm slapped big drops of rain on the windshield.
Amused, I exhaled a chuckle. “Thank You,” I said under my breath. Then I thought to myself. Next time, Grace, ask for 10 minutes.
A year or two passed and it happened again. Once again, my husband and I were shopping together. Once again, a rainstorm kept us from going to our van. Once again, I asked the Lord to stop the rain. This time however, I asked for 10 minutes. This time, I was already driving before the rain pelted the windshield.
There are some things that the Lord does with us just because we have a relationship with Him. The things He does with me are particular to me. That’s not to say that He won’t stop the rain for others. I simply mean that just as with human relationships, certain experiences touch the individual in a memorable way. Rain began to have a sentimental tug on my heart.
There were times when I might be somewhere, say, at work watching a particularly strong storm flood the parking lot throughout the day only to see it stop mere minutes before I closed up and locked the door. At which point I was able to walk to my car without getting wet and not even having asked for the rain to stop. It just happened to stop. Right then.
You might call it coincidence; and I might to. If it hadn’t happened over and over and over again.
Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full. ~John 16:24
