Here in Indiana, the weather the last several weeks has been unseasonably warm, even hot, and rain has been elusive at best. On the downside, we have had to water our outdoor plants virtually every day through the month of June.
However, as we were running an errand, in full sunlight, rain started pouring down on our windshield. The wipers started and as I was trying to figure out what was going on, Janet remarked, “Look, a sunshower…”
Now I could say that I have never heard that term, but it wouldn’t be the truth. However, I haven’t heard it since I was a little boy – I remember my maternal grandmother always liked talking about. ZNo doubt about it – it’s an old school term and I’ll bet that some of our younger readers have never used, or even heard of, the term.
So what’s the deal? Well, first of all, it helps to know what a sunshower is. It’s kind of a paradox. Sunshowers occur when it rains in a place where the sun is shining brightly and there are no clouds in sight! How’s that even possible? Well, technically the rain had to come from a storm cell that is nearby and the drops of rain are transported by the wind to a place there they fall to the earth in the midst of a bright sun. Clearly, this doesn’t happen often. In fact, I haven’t witnessed a sunshower in many years – so many, that I almost forgot about them until Janet brought it to mind.
There are at least two different ways to consider sunshowers. From a folklore standpoint, there are cultures throughout the world that believe sunshowers signify that wolves or foxes in the animal kingdom are getting “married.” In fact, there are factions in the southern US that subscribe to that point of view. In Japanese cultures, a sunshower signifies that a fox is getting married and that wedding crashers face the prospect of bringing on the wrath of the foxes. In Korean culture, there is folklore that a sunshower signifies the wedding of a fox and a tiger. Other cultures take it so far that sunshowers could be the sign of a witch’s wedding, a lioness giving birth or even the prospect of ghosts. Clearly, in many parts of the world, the phenomenon includes various types of animals.
From the meteorological perspective, sunshowers occur when unstable air masses. Typically, warn air masses rise, the air cools, moisture condenses, clouds form and, poof, rain! This is most common in the spring and fall of the year. Sometimes, clouds very high in the atmosphere are dissipating and while it appears that you are under a cloudless sky, the fact is that the last droplets of moisture from these types of clouds are falling to earth and give the appearance of rain coming from a clear sky. Lastly, strong winds can carry rain quite some distance from a cloudburst and the rain falls through the atmosphere of a clear sky. It’s not difficult to realize that rainbows are not uncommon in these scenarios.
Finally, it is also believed that being caught in a sunshower is an indication of good fortune in the midst of an otherwise troublesome time. Certainly, being caught in a sunshower is a unique experience. As I said, it’s been years since we have been caught in one – and I was mesmerized.
But there’s a better solution than waiting for a sunshower when you are struggling with an issue and looking for a ray of hope. That’s when we should turn to God. Aside from having created rainbows, God has the ability to quiet our fears, walk with us in times of tribulation and give us unlimited hope through His Son, Jesus. Our verse for tonight is from the book of Matthew. This disciple gives us the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, when Matthew tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
My encouragement this evening is that God stands ready to share our burden and help us through our trials. Sometimes, in our humanness, we fail to reach out and ask Jesus to quiet our fears. My prayer is that we will realize that Jesus stands ready to walk with us every step of the way. We just need to avail ourselves of His divine help. His love conquers all! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…