If it Rains on Easter…
Old Country Saying #1 – If it rains on Easter Sunday, then the next seven straight Sundays will have rain.
If someone were to ask me to picture Easter day, my mind would go back to my childhood. I envision a sunny warm day when I would wear my new Easter dress to church. Everyone would be wearing their new clothes and celebrating the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I would not think or remember an Easter day containing rain. In fact, rain and Easter do not seem to go together, or do they?
Rain is bad, right?
For some reason everyone thinks of rain as a bad thing, like an unwelcome guest. I do remember a few Easters when it did rain. I can still hear my mom, who no longer lives on a farm saying, I’m am not looking forward to seven straight Sundays of rain. I have noticed that after a rain on Easter day, it does seem to rain for the next several Sundays. I will admit it does make getting around a little tougher. Trying to stay dry and not to mention the effects it has on your hair. Though our society seems to have forgotten all the benefits of rain. I guess because you can turn on your faucet or go to the store to buy water bottles, therefore people do not take the time to think where the water comes from. There seems to be a little disconnect from the source, and we take water for granted. Scientists and farmers have even altered our crops to be drought resistant so if it doesn’t rain as much, the food will not be hurt or destroyed.
Rain – A source for living
A long time ago when people paid attention to the saying, “If it rains on Easter, it will rain for seven Sundays straight”, there was a couple big differences from the society that we live in today. First, people paid closer attention to the weather, they themselves would have to study conditions to better understand if severe weather was ahead. Second, people back then understood their livelihood was directly affected by rain. My great grandpa used to come outside after a good rain and say, “That was a million dollar rain!” Both sets of our grandparents were farmers who were relying on rain for the growth of their crops, they may have counted rain on Easter as a blessing. Can you image that, wanting rain on a special day? But knowing that the ground would be ready and moist to receive the seeds they were about to plant or had already planted was a great blessing. It would have been a great start for their next harvest. Wow, what a concept, people wanting rain so frequently and so often.
Rain – A promise of blessings
Have you ever been working really hard outside on a hot summer day? You are breathing heavy and perspiring and really putting forth a lot of effort, and then you feel a sprinkle of rain. In your mind, you think I hope it does rain, that would feel so nice. Almost like being a kid again and playing in a backyard sprinkler.
Maybe that is how the saying got started. Easter gives Christians everywhere their greatest hope, the resurrection. That this life will continue into eternity for the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Maybe this saying started for another hope. Maybe they thought that God would grant an earthly blessing and remind them on Easter that He would also take care of their needs here on earth.
The Bible does promise Christians in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Rain – A Cleansing
The rain has a way of cleansing. Sometimes when we haven’t got rain for awhile and I’m walking the dogs down a dusty street, I will think I wish it would rain to clean the road. I know, I probably am a neat freak, but really I just hate the dogs to get so dirty. There is just something about going outside in the sun after a hard rain that makes everything feel so fresh. Maybe God sometimes grants rain for 7 Sundays after Easter as a reminder for us to cleanse our lives. Remove and/or adjust the things in our lives that do not have eternal value.
Rain – A time to slow down
Rainy days feel a little slower, don’t you think? You’re kind of forced to stay inside, unless it’s a work day. But if it is a rainy Saturday or Sunday the pace of the day just seems slower. Sometimes I believe God has ways of slowing life down and I hope we take time to notice the important things in life. It seems we can get so caught up in the daily activities we can miss the big picture. I will sometimes ask myself when I am really putting a lot of time into something, “Ten, twenty, thirty or forty years from now, will all this time I am spending on this thing make a difference? Or Am I too worried and busy with items that do not make that much difference?”
You know God usually describes rain in the Bible as a good thing and as bringing relief.
Psalms 72:6 says, “May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.”
Easter is coming up this week. The forecast for where I live is calling for rain on Easter. I think I am going to remind myself that whether we get rain or sunshine, what a wonderful blessing I received on Easter. A reminder that He is asking me to slow down and look at what I am spending so much time on. A reminder that God does want to refresh my soul and He is going to supply all my needs. I think I might need 7 straight Sundays of that goodness.
I hope you have a wonderful Easter, rain or shine and thank the Lord for all He has done and is going to do.
Keep Encouraging’
