Day 10 of my 90 Day Journey to Experience More and it was pretty much non-eventful except at the very end when I prayed for the rain to stop then it got really interesting. After spending intimate time with the Lord (see Day 9 about Practicing the Presence) I asked the Holy Spirit where I should go. I heard in my mind, "Walk down Main Street." It was raining all afternoon and there were dark clouds still in the sky. I thought maybe what I heard was not from the Holy Spirit but the thought did not go away. I wanted to be obedient to the Spirit's call so I decided to park my car close to Main Street in my community and started walking. Wouldn't you know it, the rain stopped right before I left the house but the dark clouds were still in the sky. Read on to find out what happened when it started raining again. . .
When I started to walk down Main Street, the sun started to come out. Maybe God knows what He's doing I thought. I came across an older man using a breathing apparatus coming towards me a little distance away but he ducked into a restaurant before I had a chance to say anything. I chickened out and didn't go into the restaurant after him. I continued down the street and was reprimanding myself for not saying anything to that man. However, God never said anything to me about missing that opportunity. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and pride from my Heavenly Father that He was very pleased that I was out trying to pray for others even though I might miss a few opportunities.
Knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me so much and was backing me up, I purposed in my heart to talk with as many people I met walking down Main Street. Now, without hesitation I asked the next 8 people I met if they wanted prayer but I was only able to bless the clerk at the convenience store. There weren't too many people walking down Main Street because of the rain and no one seemed to want prayer. I was beginning to wonder if walking down Main Street was a good idea and maybe I missed what God was saying.
While walking back the other side of Main Street I noticed more dark rain clouds in the sky and I thought I wouldn't make it back to my car without getting drenched. I didn't take an umbrella. Was that faith or foolishness? I'm not sure.
It started to drizzle when I passed by the last guy whom I asked if he wanted prayer. He said, "Yea, you can pray for the rain to stop."
I laughed and initially did not pray for his request to stop the rain. But after a short while and with the rain coming down a little more, I thought about the story of Jesus and His disciples right after the feeding of the 5,000 when He ". . . made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida" (Mark 6:45, NAS). A bad storm came up as they were crossing the lake to Bethsaida and they saw Jesus walking on the water. "But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened" (Mark 6:49-52, NIV italics mine).
What the disciples "had not understood about the loaves" when they feed the 5,000 was that because the Lord commissioned them to feed the 5,000, He also gave them the authority and ability to accomplish what He told them to do. They didn't understand that the loaves multiplied in their hands as they obeyed Jesus and passed out what He gave them. In the same way, Jesus' commissioning them to go across the lake also gave them the authority and ability to make it to the other side. They did not understand that they could have calmed the storm because Jesus gave them that authority to do so in the commission to go.
With this understanding in mind, I knew that God commissioned me to walk down Main Street. Therefore, I thought to myself, I had His authority and ability to make it back to my car without getting drenched from the rain. So I looked up into the sky and commanded the dark clouds to dry up and stop raining. Almost immediately the rain slowed down but I wasn't satisfied so I told the clouds to go away and the sun to come out. Within a few minutes that is exactly what happened and I walked the rest of the way under sunny blue sky and completely dry.
Some of you might think that it was a coincidence, that we can't control the weather. Maybe it was. However, I believe if God has commissioned you to do something, He will give you full authority and ability to accomplish what He has asked you to do. The Holy Spirit asked me to walk down Main Street and I don't think a loving good Heavenly Father would want me to be soaked while doing it. Even though hardly anyone didn't want to receive prayer, God had something more important to show me. When He tells me to do something He will give me full authority and ability to accomplish what He tells me to do - even stopping the rain.
What a great day in my journey! I can't wait to see what's going to happen tomorrow on my 11th day in my Journey to Experience More. Come back often to see what God is doing and let me know what you think.
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