“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain, coming down on a sunny day?”

Some of you may recognize this song; others may not. This was a hit from the band Creedence Clearwater Revival, also known as CCR. The song was released in 1971—before I was born—but thank you, Jesus, for my dad’s mixtapes on road trips as a kid. If you haven’t heard it, you need to give it a listen. If you have, it will likely be stuck in your head for the rest of this post… possibly longer.

Have you ever been driving in your car and, in one moment, it’s bright and sunny, and the next moment, a rain cloud appears above? You can see the rays of the sun and the raindrops on your windshield at the same time.

It’s one of those bizarre moments when you experience the beauty of the sun and the dreariness of a storm simultaneously. That’s where I found myself this week.

As I reflect on the current state of our world, it’s hard not to get caught up in the doom and gloom. It’s hard to see through the dreariness of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Even as a pastor—probably especially as a pastor married to a wife working with COVID-19 patients!

It’s amazing, though, how God has a way of steadying our hearts so that we can experience moments of joy and peace. Most of the time, those moments—if you’re like me—lead to conviction and repentance for taking my eyes off the Creator and fixing them on His creation. In these moments, I am realigned, refocused, and restored. Wednesday was one of those days.

Wednesday evening, our family had the opportunity to go outside in the backyard to play. In the midst of all the Oklahoma storms, there was a breakthrough of sunshine and warm weather.

During this time, our almost 8-month-old bounced his heart out in his bouncer, and our 4-year-old stretched his legs to the sky, swinging as high as he could while shouting songs from the Trolls soundtrack.

While this was happening, I decided to get the hose out and spray off the trampoline, which was covered in leaves, twigs, and seeds from the trees above.

While I was doing this, my 4-year-old thought it would be fun to get on the trampoline with me and help clean it off… or maybe he just liked the idea of a hose on the trampoline.

After the trampoline was sprayed off, Micah, our 4-year-old, asked if he could have the hose and jump on the trampoline. When you’re locked inside all day due to the weather, many requests might be granted, and the fresh air was enough to make our quarantined family feel free. Why not live on the wild side?

The picture you see above captures one of those moments: Micah spraying the hose while jumping! His joy was so infectious, showering us with giggles and a smile that stretched beyond his ears.

As I captured this picture—first with my eye, then with my phone—I felt a deep level of peace and hope for our world, our country, our community, and my family.

You see, this moment was one where Jesus seemed to say, “I’m here. In the middle of the storms of this world… I’m here. In the middle of this virus-stricken land… I’m here.” I couldn’t help but reflect on God’s promises scattered throughout Scripture. The one that flooded my soul was God’s promise to Noah after the flood: the promise of a rainbow 🌈 filling the sky.

Now, I may not be on a boat, nor locked up in safety as long as Noah and his family were, but in the middle of this global storm, God spoke. He spoke through a small four-year-old boy bouncing his heart out, spraying the hose in all directions without a care in the world.

You see, in that moment, that rainbow 🌈 didn’t mean there wouldn’t be storms again… it meant more. It meant: Graeme, remember my promises!

Promises of God’s faithfulness:
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” – Deuteronomy 7:9

Promises of God’s joy:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

Promises of God’s provision:
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” – Luke 12:24

Promises of God’s healing:
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3

Promises of God’s protection:
“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” – Psalm 57:1

Promises of God’s glory:
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 4:6

The storms of this world might cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness, forget His promises, or neglect His presence.

I assure you… there will be a break in the clouds of this storm, and His glory will shine through in overwhelming joy and hope.

Just look for the promises He might display to you, and allow them to nourish your mind, body, and soul.

“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain, comin’ down on a sunny day?”