When I woke up this morning, there was a strange feeling to the air. It was almost like a foreboding. I was awake at 6 a.m., and somehow drifted back off to sleep. I didn't wake up again until 10:30! (That’s pretty late for me to sleep in.) Jannise had long been up, to get the girls on the bus by 7 a.m. The light was deceptive this morning. The sun didn't rise as one might expect. When I finally roused myself, and rolled over to look at the clock... it was hours later than I usually get out of the bed. It was 10:30 a.m., and the ambient light from the bedroom window had a strange, almost pre-dawn glow.

Once I got out of bed, I made my way to the window and the atmosphere was unusual. That late in the morning, there was still a haze in the air; there was a layer of fog hanging heavy in the morning sky. The feeling was foreboding. I had to know what the weather held for us for this new day.

The Weather Channel issued the prediction; today would be clear, but tomorrow... the front makes its way through. There would be heavy rain, possible flooding, and the chance for thunderstorms; RAIN IS COMING.

With the portending of the next day's weather pattern, there were the regular weather channel warnings. "Be prepared for flooding. If you're in a flood zone, be prepared to seek out higher ground."

I can imagine some being afraid of rain. I’ve seen images of people stranded in the middle of a suddenly flooded street, seated atop their now worthless car – the engine submerged beneath a brand new, though ill-placed river. I’ve seen the helicopters plucking hapless, helpless victims from bridge abutments and bare tree branches. That always happens out West somewhere. We hardly see such here.

Those of us who have done without that precious rain from heaven… for us, it isn't something we fear - we look forward to it. Yes, for those who have had TOO MUCH, the rain is overwhelming; but for those who have had none at all – those left dry and wanting – we want the rain to pour down once again.

I actually found myself rather excited at the promise of some rain. Our first rain in a long while was New Year’s Eve. It ruined a great fireworks display, that’s for sure. But it was hard to fuss at the sky for dropping that precious rain – a commodity that this community has needed so desperately. We just dashed into the rain, and shot our fireworks intermittently between heavy showers. I was drenched to the bone. As I told some, “I don’t get this wet in the shower.” And it was true. But I rather enjoyed the soaking; the soaking told me the ground would get some much needed rain.

It's been a dry few months. I have no feeling of foreboding. I’m forgetting about the dark skies. I’m going to ignore the gray of the days. The fog isn’t a fright for me. I have the promise of rain. I'm going to celebrate.

It caused me to think about what Joel 2 records:

Joel 2:23-2523 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

I believe there is a HOLY GHOST RAIN in the forecast for Bethel as well. God is up to something… BIG. You can feel the anticipation in the services. Every prayer seems to spark the electricity in the place. Every song seems to carry us right to the edge… of… that something… Every time we get together there’s that feeling in the air. We’re at the “jumping off place” of something supernatural. We’re ready for a step to the NEXT LEVEL. We’re ready for some RAIN.

And I’ll just have you know it today; I'm not bringing my umbrella. If I had one I wouldn’t use it. I want to feel every drop of His heavenly rain. I want to be drenched to the bone with Holy Ghost showers. I don't want to miss a single bit. I want to know Him in His fullness... and experience this rain to the uttermost.

Do you need a little rain today? Are you tired of dry? Are you ready for Holy Ghost showers to fall in your life again?

Get ready for the rain, friends. It's on the forecast. Some look at it with dread, or even doubt. I look at the prediction as a blessing, and a promise for ME and for MY CHILDREN as well. RAIN IS COMING. RAIN IS COMING. ARE YOU READY FOR IT? RAIN IS COMING.