Healing Rain

Have you ever noticed that when it rains,

 there is this freshness surrounding you? 
Almost a sense of starting over?


Around here, we get lots of rain. I don't know whether it's because Kentucky just cannot make up it's mind as to whether they want it to be summer or fall... It's kind of crazy if you ask me. 
Also, when I have to walk in the rain to get to class, it can get old really quick. Now, don't get me wrong. I love rain. So many wonderful memories in the rain... But getting wet when completely unnecessary? Well, that isn't my thing.


Surprisingly though, the rain here has provoked numerous thoughts:


1. Rain is a beautiful thing. Afterwards, everything is SO fresh. It is as if the flowers have decided to go on a revolt beforehand, and after the rain, they bloom back into their amazing beauty. The grass turns a warm shade of green. Everything seems new, un-touched, perfect, and lovely.
     "...he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth." -- 2 Samuel 23:4


2. I've got to throw in a funny, totally girl-thought before I get to the heart of why I'm even writing this... Rain, not going to lie, makes me think of the movie "The Notebook" and that one scene... Well I'm pretty sure most everyone knows what scene that I'm referring too. Cutest scene. Then it makes me think about my own life... And how glad I am for the wisdom that my parents are offered and given me throughout my "dating" years (if I can even call it that...) Because of my parents wonderful wisdom, I haven't made any decisions that I regret. They've nurtured me in a way that I have my head on straight, can make decisions for myself, and can stand up for what I think/feel. You won't find me throwing myself at guys just for the attention... Pursuing is not the girls job. Now I will just sit at my window and watch the rain fall, as I continue to wait and pray for the man God has for me comes along!
     "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." -- Col. 3:20


2. God's promise to us to NEVER flood the earth again. I've been asked recently what my biggest fear is... and my honest answer is: drowning. I don't know if that is because of my past as a swimmer, or what, but that legitimately is my biggest fear. But you know what I realized? If I drown, it'd be because of my own stupidity. God is never providing enough water to cause death for an entire world population ever again. He has promised to keep me safe. The light drops of rain constantly remind me of that. 
      "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant   between God and all living creatures of every kind on the   earth.” -- Genesis 9:16


3. The song "Healing Rain" by Michael W. Smith has been stuck in my head for days now. The lyrics are as follows:

Healing rain is coming down

 It's coming nearer to this old town

 Rich and poor, weak and strong

 It's bringing mercy, it won't be long

Healing rain is coming down

 It's coming closer to the lost and found

 Tears of joy, and tears of shame

 Are washed forever in Jesus' name

Healing rain, it comes with fire

 So let it fall and take us higher

 Healing rain, I'm not afraid

To be washing in Heaven's rain

Lift your heads, let us return

 To the mercy seat where time began 

And in your eyes, I see the pain 

Come soak this dry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man 

Can take a leper and let him stand 

So lift your hands, they can be held

By someone greater, the great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire 

So let it fall and take us higher

 Healing rain, I'm not afraid 

To be washed in Heaven's rain

To be washed in Heaven's rain...

Healing rain is falling down

 Healing rain is falling down

 I'm not afraid

I'm not afraid...

Just reading the lyrics give me goose bumps. You know what rain is similar to? Grace. (No, not me...) But God's grace. It comes right when we need it. Always. 

This also goes back to my point of being afraid of drowning... "I'm not afraid to be washed in Heaven's rain." God's power is way higher, bigger, and stronger than anything that we could ever imagine! We shouldn't dread it. He isn't this overpowering God looming down from Heaven with a shaking finger. No, He's this compassionate God that once we realize our weakness, then it is His strength that get's us through. There should be some aspect of a holy and reverent fear for the awesome power and healing of God, but no so much that we don't go before Him on our knees because we are afraid.

4. Last, but certainly not least, rain is a picture of love. God's love. My parent's love. My friend's love. All of it, all of the time, is poured out on me. Unconditionally. Thankfully though, rain isn't as constant as love. But without it (rain or love) life would be so difficult. If I didn't have those people come up beside me as an act of encouragement, or even discipline, I don't know where I would be. I am beyond grateful for all of it!

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for years, and light for the way"

Worship, Friends, Boys...

So I've been meaning to blog for like 3 days now... Literally every time I come into my room I think to myself, "Just get on your computer and BLOG." And then every night I find myself either distracted by other things, or just plain tired.

Therefore leading to this time now, where I am sitting in my cozy green chair, in my decorated dorm room, finally doing this.

Whether this is going to be in an organized and readable fashion, I have yet to determine. If it is not, I apologize right here. So take note of that simple phrase.

First off: Asbury is seriously so great. I can so clearly see God in everything. He also has been teaching me a lot. The main thing though that I think He is trying to make clear to me is this aspect of worship... Now everyone knows that's what you do on Sunday mornings before the pastor gets up and gives a sermon, in which we can zone off, till the ending song when we get revived again.
W.R.O.N.G
Worship can be done anytime... at any place... in any way...
But, all that to say, I've learned more of how awesome it is to worship with other believers.
As most of you know... I play the piano, and I absolutely love it! I, by far, had the 2 greatest piano teachers ever. Mrs. Ellwanger is someone I would consider one of my closest friends and mentors. I told her anything and everything, and we also had some piano in there ;) Becky was so amazing. Despite the fact I only had her for a year, I took away lessons that I might not have learned otherwise! But in spite of all of the years that I had played, I never played FOR anyone. Now what I mean by that is, I never played in a setting where people sang along. I just didn't feel comfortable with that. And to be honest, I'm still not 100% comfortable. But hey, God brings us out of our comfort zones so that we might become more comfortable in Him!
It also doesn't help that if I play FOR people, that means I have to play chords. Chords and I don't have the greatest of relationships. It's pretty much a love-hate thing that we have going on. Why? I really don't have a clue! But this past week, Hunter and I decided that, since we both sing, we need to have a jam session. It started on Monday night when we were just playing around, and after we finished one of the songs, there was applause. That totally encouraged me, especially! I'm very self-conscious when I play the piano. I HATE HATE HATE wrong notes, and I don't like when it sounds super simple (though that often times can be the most moving and inspirational times) and like something that most anyone could play. But some of those insecurities went out the window just by that little bit of encouragement.
Tuesday night, Hunter and I decided again to go out and play the piano. This time, when people heard us, they came over and at first just listened. After about an hour of doing it, they started singing! It was so neat. For about 2 hours, there was at least 7-8 of us just sitting/standing around the piano singing. And I had the opportunity to lead (well... lead-ish) that time! It was one of the most encouraging and life-changing experiences.
One of the lessons that I learned was:
1. It's OK to mess up. People aren't going to judge me just because I hit an E in the left hand instead of a D. Nor will it truly matter, as we were simply just worshipping our perfect God. He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He just expects us to be complete in Him.
2. Playing for a group of people is so encouraging! I've never experienced that satisfaction of feeling like I have truly participated in leading praise to my wonderful God!
3. Surrounding myself with godly friends is the best thing that I can do while here at college, in the still insecure stage of it all. Despite the fact that I knew only one of the people that joined us, we had the common bond that will forever link us.

Now that leads me to talk about the friendships I've created here... To be honest, I was so incredibly nervous about "starting over" again. I had to do it last year, and it was by far one of the hardest times in my life! Senior year turned out to be wonderful, but I think I could say that it had more downs than up. Friends weren't a piece of cake. Also, when I don't know people, I tend to be super shy (If any of my close friends are reading this, they'll probably laugh out loud at that statement! But it's true!). But at the same time, here I wanted to MAKE SURE that I made friends. How awful would it be to go through college and not have any friends? So, I won't lie, I probably tried a little too hard at the beginning to make sure that people liked me. It kills me when I know that someone doesn't like me, or if they like me for someone that I am not. So being genuine was on my top list. Thankfully, it has turned out great :) I have made some of the sweetest friends!
Yes, I still miss and love all of my friends from home (both Indiana and Bristol!). Alot, in fact. I talk to some of them on a semi-regular basis. It's like sharing in the college experience via technology :) But these friends here are some of the people that I will be friends with for a lifetime.

One friend I'd specifically like to mention is Hunter. This girl is one of the reasons I haven't lost it yet... She has been such a great source of encouragement to me thus far! Yes, we met on facebook. Great start to a friendship, right? Normally those don't work out quite as planned. But I really and truly believe that God has this friendship for me right from the time I clicked the "Accept" button. Already, in just 4 weeks of college, we have made memories that will be with us for the rest of our lives!

What's funny though is the main topic that seems to find itself creeping up... Often... :P
If you know me at all, you can almost guess what it is. Boys. Now, not in a creepy way, because then what good would that do me? Haha! But in a way that we're legitimately talking about the rest of our lives. How weird is it to think that I could have met my future husband already? Whether it be here, or in Indiana, or Tennessee... Also, if I think hard enough about it... I could be married in 4.5 years and have a kid in 5.5 years. SCARY! I don't think that I'm ready for that quite yet. I want to experience life still. Not that I couldn't with all of that happening... Yet at the same time, there's that longing.
Something Hunter and I were talking about though is the fact that we have to be SO content in God first before He is going to let anyone else come into my life. God's the perfect man. No one can ever surpass Him. He's written a perfect love story.
Then why do I so yearn for another?
It's a girl thing.
But on a more serious note, I'm perfectly content being single. God is my rock, or at least I'm learning how to depend on Him for all of the strength and support that I need. That's also what all of my girlfriends are for! They constantly uplift and encourage me :)

So now that you know all of that, I'm sure you're wondering to yourself why you even read this.
Hopefully there is a little something you can gleam?
Afterall, these are all things that make college life the way it is!