Prepare for Rain
Prepare for Rain
By
Aya Fubara Eneli, M.A., J.D.
The theme for my church this year is GROW. I have been thinking a lot about that word. What does it take to grow? What exactly is it that I want to grow? What’s my role and what’s God’s role in any kind of growth I may desire? And then I got my answer. Prepare for rain.
“Prepare For Rain” is a metaphor from the phenomenal movie Facing The Giants. In the movie, Coach Taylor is challenged to start acting like God will answer his prayers. He is told the story of two farmers who were praying desperately for rain. One farmer went out into his fields and prepared them as if God would answer that prayer, the other didn’t. Whose prayers do you think God will answer?
It made me think about my garden. I have gotten around to putting some plants and seeds in the ground and they have definitely benefited from the rain we’ve had, but the seeds and even seedlings that I have not yet planted obviously did not receive the same benefit. The rain came but I was not sufficiently prepared for it and so I have denied myself some of the rewards I would otherwise have received.
We all have dreams. There are goals and desires that keep us up at night. We want to grow. We want to see increase and improvement in our relationships, our finances, our careers and our health. But, what are we doing to prepare for the increase we so desire? How are we preparing for the increase especially when that increase is not guaranteed? How are you preparing for the rain?
Joe Montana is a Hall of Fame quarterback. Nicknamed Joe Cool and The Comeback Kid, he was a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. After winning a college national championship at Notre Dame, Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with San Francisco, where he played for the next 14 seasons. While a member of the 49ers, Montana started in and won four Super Bowl games!
One could argue that for all his success, Joe Montana was not the most gifted person to ever play the quarterback position, and yet his accomplishments are virtually unparalleled. So, I looked to see what differentiated him. Joe Montana said of his success, “Looking back on my career, preparation is probably the most important thing I did. I think it is the most important element for … any job you are going to do.” Joe Montana was not guaranteed either a college national championship or a super bowl ring, but he prepared for them nonetheless. He got his body ready and he also visually prepared for all 150-160 plays that could possibly be called. He said, “It was a lot of preparation and visual preparation.”
How about you? In what tangible ways are you preparing for what you desire? When the opportunity presents itself, will you be prepared or would you need to scurry to become ready? What has been holding you back from taking the steps to prepare for the growth you say you want? Laziness? Lack of vision? Low self-esteem? Bad company? Being too busy with less important things?
We all have a decision to make. We can keep hoping and praying for our desires to come to pass and do nothing else, or we can pray and then go to work and prepare for the rain. I wish you your abundant life.
Aya Fubara Eneli is a best-selling author, Christian Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Attorney. Her life’s purpose is to empower and equip people to live up to their highest potential. She and her husband live in Central Texas with their five miraculous children. For more information, visit www.ayaeneli.com, follow her on twitter @ayaeneli or e-mail her at info@ayaeneli.com.