Flash flood!

This evening, at 6:45pm, after all the kids were nestled in their AWANA program for the next hour-plus session, I aaproached the doors to the parking lot of my church. Two men with walkie talkies stood there, relaying discussion about the rain. It was pouring very hard. And while rain is as common as the rain here in Oregon, a hard rain is about as frequent as a thunderstorm--a novelty.

I got in my car and headed for McDonalds; my whole reason for leaving the church: dinner. I did not understand the nature of this rainstorm until I saw the car in front of me, try and drive into the parking lot and pickup window. It was as deep as over a foot in some places. Wow.

And the rain did not let up, either! For a half hour, there it was, pouring so hard that even though my wipers were going as fast as they could, I could only go 25mph. I haven't seen anything like this in a long time. There were a couple of kids who thought the flood so fascinating that they decided to hang out at an intersection and watch the cars go by. One of the young teenagers sat down on the curb, and the water sat at shoulder-height. He could have taken a swim if there weren't cars also trying to navigate that same area.... Another person was taking photographs of the whole scene.

I realized once I was driving through the exit that I now had a lot of time, and nothing I needed to do. However I was always wanting to take time and a detour to see the Planned Parenthood Clinic, and size it up. I believe I have at least a little gift for spiritual discernment. I can feel the hidden opression or confusion of a place, even before I know anything about it. I am not always right but it is getting more accurate as I go.

Once I got there in the parking lot, I turned off the motor and stayed in my car. The reality of abortions happening right here impacted me into silence. I started wondering why God was so slow to carry out justice? How can this really be a good thing in His purposes to wait to act, I can not see, I admitted freely.

There were a couple of women who left the clinic while I was there. Only after several minutes did it really strike me.... The cars in the parking lot were all luxury or trendy cars. There were two ford mustangs, well kept, two nice-model new Cadillacs, which looked impeccable. A Volvo, a BMW Jetta. I thought, these cars were purchased in part perhaps with the money that came from shedding someone else's blood. Image and money meant a lot to their owners. And here I was, in a minivan?? I must stick out, I realized. One of the two women was watching me for awhile, too. But the most powerful thing I noticed, and I did look: in all ten cars, not a single carseat inside them. What a statement! Without saying a single word, there is the very tesimony of it all.

As I watched the rain pour, pour, pour, I remembered a passage I had just read for the first time a couple of days ago which was really impactful at the time.

"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender grass." deut 32:2

As I write this, I wonder even right now, did God pen these words with me in mind?

Abundant rain as a symbol of his Word, being absorbed by a people tender and ready to receive. What more could I hope for in such a place? Because of this vision, I found my prayers quite passionate.

The washing of the rain all around was also a promise by God to me, for a wash of the soul by the Word. I saw how I, too, needed refreshment, a "destructive washing" (greek; "baptize"), in order to be at peace.