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After weeks of scorching heat and baking sunshine, I lifted my head at the faint scent of moisture in the air. I wasn't wrong because a tree frog began an anxious croaking. He smelled it too, and began rejoicing over that first drop of water before it even fell.

Then the thunder cracked with an earth-shaking boom. The first drops of rain tickled my arms, but I was too weak at the moment to do anything but thank God for the rain.

Rain began lightly enough, refreshment for the parched ground and sending up a wonderful fragrance that perfumed the air... a glorious perfume of ... oh, you know what that smells like and how good it is. Then it came down harder, not so hard that it hurt, but it was beating me down, as weak as I was, I couldn't stand against it. My feet were rooted to the ground and I couldn't run for cover like the cat did when it thundered.

Soon I was hurting in a different way and I cried out, “God! Oh, God! Why are You pelting me like this? The refreshing water is wonderful. The coolness of cloud cover after the scorching heat is restoring, and the blessing of rain which removes the dust and dirt from my face is so rejuvenating, but why so much? Why so hard? It bends my head. It spatters the mud, choking me. It hurts.

“I know I should be thankful. I should rejoice, and I do rejoice because I was dying. But, this blessing is hurting me in a different way.”

“Trust Me, child,” He replied. “I know what I am doing because I created you. If I do not give you enough rain, your roots won't go deep into the ground where it is safe and healthy and moist. Too little rain and your roots grow along the top of the ground and they would burn in the sun; they would wither and you would die. It has to be just enough rain to soak deep into the ground. Just enough so when some evaporates, the process won't deprive you of My life giving water. I designed it this way.

“This rain may seem like a trial to you now... but, soon, your roots will drink, strength will come back and you'll stand proud in the sun and the breeze may bend you, but you won't break. One day, Little Oak, you will stand proud with your arms reaching toward Me and you will point to Me. You are a witness to Me, now, but you will be a greater witness to Me when you are a mighty tree. Just like the heavens recount My glory and the expanse proclaim my handiwork there will be no speech and no words where your voice is not heard. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and the fullness of it. Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then the trees of the forest shall rejoice for the Light has come and the Son shines forth.”

Psalm 19,96

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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