Stand in the Rain

I wanted to start with a scripture and a song to uplift and strengthen you. 

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)    Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes . . . Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

These verses are all about how to prepare for those trials that will come in your life.  We all have them: the rough days, the lonely times, the broken relationships.  God doesn't say that following Him will be easy; having a relationship with the Lord will not be the end of all your troubles.  He tells us that we will have troubles and that the world will test us.  Let's just be ready for that day.  We prepare by having a relationship with God: by reading His word, following His commandments, singing His praises.  We need to stand firm in our faith so that we will not be changed by our experiences.  We need to be ready to stay strong when the winds of the world test us.  We need to Stand in the Rain.  

Stand in the Rain by Superchick (chorus)  Stand in the rain; stand your ground.  Stand up when it's all crashing down.  Stand through the pain; you won't drown.  And one day what's lost will be found.  Stand in the rain.