To me the weather in San Jose, CA is as near perfect as you can get. It’s rarely too hot or too cold. Being raised in the Mid-West I sometimes miss seeing the seasons change, but it’s a minor compensation for weather I love. However, no place is perfect and the deluge of rain we’ve had this past week proves it. I really don’t mind the rain, but I do mind the Californians who’ve never learned to drive in the rain. Accidents double with the slightest hint of moisture out here, which is unfortunate because at times the rain will fall.
Rain has a life lesson for all of us found in Luke 6:46-49. Here Jesus gives the parable about the foolish man and wise man building houses. The foolish man built his house on a shaky foundation and the wise man built his on a solid foundation. Then the rains came and it must have been quite a downpour because the foolish man’s house was washed away. However, the wise man’s house was not. And here is the point I want to emphasize – the rains will come!
Many Christians feel if they are nice to others and follow biblical principles, they will escape the rain. Oh no, my friend. The thunder will roar and the lightening will strike. It will rain on everyone: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the just, the unjust, the atheist and the Christian. No one escapes the rain. It rained on both the foolish and the wise man. However each had a different result. The foolish man was wiped out, but the wise man was not. The wise man may have had considerable water damage, but he survived because he built his house on a solid foundation.
Spiritually speaking the house represents our lives and that rock-solid foundation is Jesus Christ. An unshakable foundation can be laid daily by believing Christ, walking with him, talking with him, and trusting him. The shaky foundation cuts corners, plays the angles and tries to be self-sufficient. When the storms of life come – and they will come – you will rely on whom you have grown accustom to relying on. Will that be you or will that be Christ? Only Christ can help you survive the storms of life. Sometimes Christ calms the storm; sometimes he calms the child. But either way, you survive.
As far as those Californians who don’t know how to drive in the rain I suggest the following: take a driving course, slow down, or stay home until the sun shines. Because you can’t escape it – the rain will fall!
