Bring the rain

"Bring The Rain"
(sung by Mercy Me)

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty

I love this song and the unique perspective it offers. We ask God to bring the good things into our life, but how many of us have the courage to ask him to bring the "rain"? The fact that going through valleys is a good thing is and has been a hard lesson for me to learn. In February, God started to make it rain in my life. It was then I found out more than likely I would not have a job this year because of financial problems the school district was facing. Then, in March I found out for certain that would be true. Leaving the job was not the hard part; it was leaving my "family". I never realized how important those people were to me until I had to leave them. The saying " You never know what you have until it's gone" is really true.
I thought the rain would stop when God answered my prayer and sent me a new job. Sadly, I was wrong. In June, I had to go to court for the first time in my life. Long story there, and for privacy reasons I won't go into why I had to go, but it was so heartbreaking and emotionally draining. I wonder why God had me go through that when it didn't even really involve me.
June rolled into July and on July 4 my two year relationship ended. Even though I knew it was for the best, I can honestly say my heart was completely broken. Emotions and feelings built up over two years are a hard thing to just let go of. Fortunately, we are still able to be friends now.
August didn't get much better. I started my new job, and yes I know I should be thankful I have one, but I do not really like it. I miss my friends at Fannindel so much and that has made getting adjusted at a new school even harder. The reason I don't like it is I am so burned out on being a teacher; I feel like a trapped animal by the end of the day. I am under so much more stress too. I still don't understand why my time at Fannindel had to end, but some day I will have that answer.
Would I have prayed for all this stuff to happen? Of course not, but I know that all these things shape me into the person I am and makes me closer to the person God wants me to be. By human nature, I wish my life would be easy all the time, but if going through valleys makes me grow and since God has it all under control, BRING THE RAIN.