This summer started off dry...really dry. The small ponds and lakes in our area became little dirt pits. The shrubs were baked brown and crispy and all of the grass in our backyard died, or so I thought. For days the skies filled with puffy clouds and teasingly turned a deep shade of grey, but produced no rain. The next sunny day began like all the others, so we didn't think water restrictions would end any time soon. I was going about my daily household chores when I noticed a shadow overtake the room.

Then without notice, the unmistakable sound of millions of little wet needles stabbing the rooftops filled my ears--it was a downpour, complete with whistling winds, thunder and lightening. It continued for no more than twenty minutes and then it was over.

This is the amazing part. The very next day everything that had appeared dried up and dead was now green and alive with color. I thought we would have to take matters into our own hands--you know, plant more sod, use fertilizer and water everything ourselves as much as we could. But, all we had to do was wait.

As it is in the natural, so it is in the spirit-realm. If you've been through a dry season, a drought, especially a long one, it's natural to lose hope. You've been waiting so long you think the rain (God's promise) is not coming.

The drought has consumed everything--your energy, your passion, your finances, your strength, your joy, your health, need I go on. Instead of standing firm on faith in God, you begin considering the alternatives. "Well, maybe I could work this or maybe I could borrow that. I don't need to have big dreams anyway; maybe I should just settle for something practical, something realistic, something I can accomplish without God."

If you've been there, like I have, or if you are still there, realize this. God can do more in fifteen minutes than we could do in a lifetime. Your situation may look dead, but it's really not. God can renew it. All it takes is one good rain.

Psalm 68: 9-10
"You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land. There your people finally settled, and with a bountiful harvest, O God, you provided for your needy people." (New Living Translation)

If you've been discouraged, take heart. I read today's forecast from the Word of God. It says there's a 100% chance of showers.

About the Author: Valerie Morrow was born-again at the tender age of 5, but has been chasing Jesus and the will of God seriously for about 10 years. As a busy (we prefer the word productive) wife, mother, entrepreneur, leader, ministry student and writer, she focuses on being well-balanced, as a necessity in life. Valerie has been a waitress, a secretary, a receptionist, a marketing assistant, an account coordinator, an account manager, a marketing director, a business owner and the "candy lady." She has learned the meaning of being secure in Christ regardless of your position or function in life and loves to share her insights through devotionals, bible studies and "self- improvement" articles from a Biblical perspective. Valerie is the wife of Henry Morrow and the mother of Henry and Charli Kathryn. She is an active member of Without Walls International Church under the leadership of Sr. Pastor Paula White in Tampa, Florida.