Waiting for the rain

It was called the Sand Pond, a little place in the woods just south of town. During dry seasons there was not a drop of water – only a wide stretch of white sand. We often took the children there for afternoon picnics, spreading a blanket beneath the trees while they played for hours in the sand. Then, almost like magic, the rains would come, and before long the same place would fill with cool, clear water. It was still the Sand Pond – the very same place –just living through different seasons.
So many times in life I have found myself in different seasons as well – seasons of drought and seasons of plenty. Scripture often calls those dry seasons the wilderness. They are the moments when our strength feels thin and hope seems to fade. Yet the Bible shows us that the wilderness is often where God meets His people.
Scripture gives us a beautiful example of this in the life of the prophet Elijah. Not long after a great victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah found himself fleeing into the wilderness. Exhausted and discouraged, he prayed that he had reached the end of his strength. God did not meet Elijah with judgment, but with care. As Elijah rested, an angel came with food and water – urging him to rise and eat, because the journey ahead was too much for him alone. After Elijah had regained his strength, God led him forward once again. Sometimes the most spiritual thing God does for us is simply restore our strength for the journey.
Even Jesus experienced the wilderness. Before His ministry began, Jesus spent forty days in a lonely place of testing. In this difficult season, far from the crowds and the work ahead, God remained close. Scripture tells us that Jesus was sustained in the wilderness and strengthened for the calling ahead. When Jesus left that lonely place, He did not leave weakened or defeated. He stepped forward ready for the ministry God had placed before Him. The wilderness had not taken anything from Jesus. Instead, it had prepared Him.
In much the same way, God does not bring us to the wilderness to condemn us. He brings us there to restore us. Psalm 23 reminds us that the Lord is a shepherd who restores the soul. He does not simply patch us up. He restores us and gently mends what has grown weary within us, renewing the strength we need for the journey ahead.
What we often see as empty places in our own lives are not empty at all. Sometimes they are the very places where God restores our strength, deepens our faith, and quietly prepares us for the next part of the journey, even when we cannot yet see what lies ahead.
Looking back now, I realize the lesson of the Sand Pond. Even when the water had disappeared and the ground looked dry and empty, it was still a good place to be. Children still laughed, the breeze still moved through the trees, and the sun still warmed the earth. The place had not lost its beauty; it was simply living through a different season. Our lives can be like that as well. Even when the waters seem low and the wilderness feels long, God is still present – quietly restoring our strength and preparing us for whatever comes next. Sometimes we are simply waiting for the rain. And even in that waiting, God is already at work within us.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.