Yesterday was quite interesting to say the least. Rain fell in my town. So first, you must understand that the rainy season starts in late May or June. At times, a few rain drops can fall towards the end of April, but certainly not in February! So I must say the fact that it rained is amazing, a blessing, and indeed a manifestation of God’s answers to so many prayers and sacrifices. Allow me to explain.
I went to another town about 40 miles from my house to learn to make liquid soap with a couple of volunteers. I had planned this mini training for myself about a month ago because I plan to teach the mother’s association at my community house how to make it. So sadly, when a few of my community house girls asked me last week if I wanted to walk with them to a mountain and pray, I had to turn them down. One of the catholic sisters I work with very closely invited me as well, and I declined her invitation as well. Funny thing is, while I was 40 miles from my town I kept feeling rain droplets. When I mentioned it to one of the volunteers she insisted that it was a bird flying over me and peeing on me. Her husband said he felt a few of the drops, but I am not certain they were convinced that it was truly rain. When I returned to my town, the evidence was undeniable…there was puddles, and wet dirt everywhere…no rain, but a clear sign that rain had fallen and fallen hard.
As I have mentioned several times, there are a bunch of catholic holidays. Yesterday was yet another. I have no idea what it is called in English, but people call it Pelionage (if I spelled it right) in French. I am not certain of all of the ins and outs of the celebration, but I know that there were many people who woke up at 3 or 4am to walk between 4-15 miles (depending on where they lived in my town) to a mountain top where they prayed and gave thanks. I am a firm believer that God loves and favors those who believe, follow, and have faith in Him regardless of your religious affiliation. I feel certain that the rain fell because of the prayers of the people here and the sacrifices they made to walk so far despite their health or whatever may have been going on with them. It is amazing to see such a thing. Like I said, it was simply a manifestation of God’s love because I am certain there were answered prayers, healing, rejuvenation, and lives saved. For the rain to have fallen at this time of the year and also on this celebratory day, I can only attribute it to faith, and God’s tangible message that He hears and answers prayers.
I cannot explain how important this tangible message is for me right now in my life and in my faith walk. I am indeed at times weak, but growing. God is forever revealing Himself to me and others in so many different ways. I am sure some will try to explain this away with meteorology, and the science of weather. And I feel confident that the ideas they have will make scientific sense, but who is to say that God didn’t make the science that explains his manifestations? And so as I write this message to you, I encourage you and myself to stay firm, believe and be disciplined because God does indeed answer prayers. I do not know the stories of the people who sacrificed their time, energy, and physical strength, but I know that things changed for many, it did for me based on their faith. This is not a message to encourage you to become catholic, for I am not, nor to become protestant, or to ascribe to any particular religious sect. This message is for you and me to encourage us to get to know the true loving and living God for ourselves and to faithfully discipline ourselves to give thanks, to fast, and to pray. God hears us and will indeed answer our prayers. If we use the faith that we have, we can indeed move mountains…or make the rain fall.
