Are you preparing for rain?

Are you preparing for rain?
I recently watched the movie Facing the Giants. In it there was a pastor who told a story about 2 farmers. Both of them prayed for rain to help their crops, but only one of the farmers actually prepared his fields for the coming rain. The pastor then asks, who trusted God?
Are you preparing for rain?
Or I guess a better question is what are we preparing for? Or even better yet is what do we want to do? We can not possibly move forward if we do not have a focus, a vision, a place to look to to see how we are doing. We can continue to be the church, and not do ministry, but is that why we are here? In the movie, Facing the Giants, there is a football team that can not win a game. They have had losing seasons for 6 straight years. The coach asks God to show him where he should be, and after the above visit form the pastor and some prayer, he devises a new team philosophy. From this he asks the players why they are their. Is football only about winning games? Does God care about football? Does god care about teaching? Does God care about healthcare work? Does God care about electrical/plumbing/carpentry work? Does God care about learning? Does God care about basketball? Does God care about anything other than us being in worship? Of course God cares about all of these things. God cares about you, and has called you to be His own, so He cares about the things that we all do.
Are you preparing for rain?
We are all called by God in our baptisms, to be His children. We are all called to be co inheritors with Jesus of the kingdom of God. We are all called to be a part of the body of Christ in the world. We all have a part to play that no one else can in God’s plan. Just as Jesus bridged the gap of the chiasm that separated us from God. We all have our calling.
I am not the only person called at Hosanna. While I have a piece of paper that says I have been called by Hosanna Lutheran Church to your pastor, each one of you has a piece of paper that says you were called by God. Your baptismal certificate. In this document god called you to be His and to do His work.
Are you preparing for rain?
Are you ready for the ride of your life? Do we trust God to take us to the next level?
Bob Reccord and Randy Singer in their book Live Your Passion Tell Your Story Change Your World: a Challenge to Fulfill Your Calling on page 112 say, ““He (God) asks, “Do you think I can successfully guide your steps and order your life?” and we say, “Sure!” But when He says, “Then get in,” we start backtracking. He asks us to do something outrageous and exciting, and we start walking away from the Falls. Could it be we are really saying, “I believe you can guide my steps, as long as it makes sense to me. But there are more choices out there, and I want to keep my options open.
The bottom line is we either trust God or we don’t. We’re either willing to be obedient or we leave our options open. Yet He continually invites us on the ride of our lives!”
Where are we going Hosanna? Are we allowing God to guide our steps, to be the permeating force in our lives, or are we coasting along as a gathering of the body?
I am ready for a wild ride, with God leading us to new and wonderful things, are you with me?Let’s get preparing for rain!