When It Rains It Pours

If you have ever heard the “old saying” or (idiom); “When it rains it pours” then you probably know what it means as well. From what I could find online the statement goes at least in a written document back to the 1700s. Typically whenever the statement was used it had the same meaning that when one bad thing happens it typically starts a domino effect for other misfortunes.

There often seems to be enough stress in most people’s lives from one negative event happening so when a string of negative events are triggered and one becomes surrounded by other negative events it can lead one to feeling very stressed and overwhelmed.

Over the years working as a counselor and being in ministry I have heard many stories of life events some more traumatic and devastating than others. Some have literally wondered where their next meal will come from after giving up years of addiction and abusive relationships and others are stressed because of fears of a new promotion at work and building onto their home and not knowing which color to paint the additions. Both are stressed but I’m sure at different levels.

Still when one negative event whether it be small or big can at times seem to trigger a chain reaction of happenings that will lead some to think about or verbalize the saying, “when it rains it pours.” Stress basically is a part of life and it will come to all of us in some form. The key is to learn how to handle life when the stress begins to pour down like rain. Just like when it literally rains one can choose to stay inside and avoid it. However, there are times we can’t always “hide away” and isolate ourselves from life that brings stress, but if you know a situation will likely lead to higher stress then it may be best to “stay in” away from the event.

Others may put on a raincoat or take an umbrella to “go out in the midst” of it, but not be as impacted and affected by it. We have to let some things said or done to us just “roll off of us,” as another saying is, “like water off of a duck’s back.” We would be living in a “dream world” if we think that we will never have negative things happen. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote about when great suffering, distress, hardships do happen learning to endure them will build our character and help us to persevere.

One response to what is the concept that tribulation (hard times) will lead to perseverance was answered on GotQuestions.org by this, “It originates from Romans chapter five where the biblical principle outlines a transformative sequence: enduring suffering and difficult circumstances builds endurance, which in turn develops proven character and ultimately leads to an unshakable hope.” So, when it rains and begins to pour open the umbrella of faith and soon behold rays of hope.

~TRS

July 12, 2026

A Journey Directed

When we start out on this journey of life we never really know where we may end up when it comes time for our journey to be over on this side of eternity. Some would say that there are many different paths that we can take on this journey. Some stay close to their roots and never leave their hometown. Some may take off and never look back. How we are raised definitely does impact the choices we make and which direction we may choose to go down, but ultimately we all do have a choice of which roads we are going to travel.

Our jobs and careers may take us down certain roads that otherwise we may have never gone down. We may meet certain friends or a mate that we choose to follow down a path they are on. The sad truth is that often tragedy and trauma may hinder the good path we were on to cause us to stray onto paths that if those things had not of happened we would have never gone down.

A question some may think about could be, “Is it too late to turn around from the place I am at, especially if it is not a good place to be?” Most if not all people have at some point been on their journey and looked around and seen this was not the best place for them to be. It is at that moment that we have to choose to take a different path. There will be struggles to find the right path. Our past negative choices sometimes cloud our vision of the right path to be on. Traumas of life may have darkened the path we’re on that we can’t see the light of day on how to get to a better place. We may be bound to others or addictions that hold us back from getting to the road of self improvement.

In the book of Daniel it is very evident that God knows the future. Through visions and dreams and subsequently their interpretations Daniel wrote about events so precisely that often some historians in their disbelief say that the book of Daniel had to have been written after the fact of all the prophecies fulfilled because it was so accurate they can’t believe Daniel would have known hundreds of years before. At first Daniel didn’t know, but God does. He is the Beginning and the End and He already knows what choices we will make or what choices we would have made. Every possible scenario that our life could take God knows the outcome of what it would be. This is why some doors open and some close.

The most important thing to remember is no matter where you are on this journey and you know that it is not the best place to be we can take comfort and solace in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” May you trust in Him and in your dark moments on this journey let your faith give you rays of hope to see the path you need to be on.

~TRS “an old article updated and added too” 🙂 3/15/26

Crossing On Dry Ground

(Part 4)

This article will conclude the series on “dry places.” To review the previous three columns they were 1. About how we can become dry and thirsty spiritually and have a need to seek diligently after the Living Water. 2. Sometimes things in our life may “dry up” after a season of being plentiful just to help us at those previous moments until God makes another way and 3. We may have issues that are in excess and need to be dried up for our own good and healing.

Now we get to the fourth part of seeing how God works through things being “dried up.” It is based on one of the probably more well known stories and accounts of how God “dried up” the Red Sea for the children of Israel to walk upon dry ground to get them away from their enemy who was coming after them. Just a small recap if you do not know the story but the Israelites had become slaves to the Egyptians for a long period of time and now through an unlikely hero God was going to use the leadership of one who felt very unqualified for the position, Moses.

After some convincing through a burning bush and a series of ten plagues the Egyptian Pharaoh decided to “let the people go.” However, as they started on their journey to leave the Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his troops to bring them back. We can read in Exodus 13:17-18, “And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest possibly the people turn when they see war, and they return to Egypt; but God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.” This lets us know that there was a closer way; but a way that would have been harder. Harder to the point that the people would have turned on their own to go back to the bondage they were escaping from. So, they were brought to a place where their trust in God and faith had to be activated.

Some battles in life may get so tough that the thought of it may make us want to turn back into our “old ways.” Therefore, God will ultimately for our own protection open up new ways that only He can do. In the movies of this scene typically it shows Moses putting his staff down and the waters of the Red Sea from him back begin to separate. However, this is not how it actually happened.

Singer and youth minister, Jason David from MyTribe is one of the first times I heard it told how it really happened and how it explains in Exodus 14:21-22. God “caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided and the children of Israel crossed on dry ground.” The waters started to split on the opposite side from where they were and it was happening all night. Which meant they couldn’t see what God was doing on the other side. As the divided waters were getting closer I’m sure they may have then heard that something was happening but not until it was right there at them would they then know that there had been a path made for them to cross.

If God had started the divide from where they were at then possibly the ground would have still been muddy and harder to cross. But, because of starting from the other side that also required their trust and faith something was happening even though they couldn’t see it at the moment turned out to be a great defining moment in their journey. As this series on “dry places” comes to an end it reminds me of a quote from a devotional, “Heart Rehab” by Jerry Flowers, Jr that said, “God may have to dry up some of the places in our lives to get us to go or be elsewhere.

Maybe you are in a spot where the enemy is fastly approaching from behind yet all you see is another huge obstacle in front of you that you see no way through. Trust that the Lord has already been at work “all night” and has been making a way that will give you “rays of hope” that a way will open up for you to escape some problems to cross on dry ground.

~TRS 2-15-26

Too Much Dried Up (part 3)

Many times as we go throughout life we get involved in lots of things and get busy. Often we have a mindset of take, take, take, and more, more, more. Often we may hear that anything in moderation is good, but anything in excess is not good.

Go to your favorite restaurant and eat too much of your favorite meal and leave the place in misery. Have a kid eat too much candy and see them have an energy spike and then crash. We hopefully know that having too much alcohol will lead to higher tolerance and alcoholism.

Maybe you have a certain bed time and have company come over and they spend “too much” time talking and even having fun but then staying longer than expected can lead to minimal sleep and a rough next day. Speaking of sleep, we know that it is good and needed, but too much sleep is not beneficial. Many could benefit from some exercise, but too much of it can actually cause injuries or heart issues.

Water is something that we cannot live without but there is a thing called water intoxication (hyponatremia) from drinking too much of it. We may be in the heat of the day with a mouth so dry and think if I can just fill up on water all will be good, but then drink too much and suffer the consequences.

So what is the point of me listing all of these things that too much of that leads to bad happenings. One thing that we can never get enough of is reading the Bible. Even research shares that reading the Bible aloud can promote healthier brain function helping to create new, positive neural pathways replacing the more negative thought patterns and can promote emotional healing. So, we can never get too much of the true God but it is Him who can help “dry up all of the excess” of things in our lives that we may have too much of.

Once after reading Mark 5:28-29 it tells of the story of the “woman with an issue of blood.” This basically meant she had a medical condition where she likely had a form of heavy, prolonged menstruation. It tells how for 12 years she sought out many forms of treatment and had spent all she had with no success getting rid of her problem of “too much.”

However, when she heard that Jesus was going to be coming her way she had the faith to believe that He could help her. Verse 27 reports, “When she heard about Jesus she came behind HIm in the crowd and touched His garment. For she believed if she touched even just the hem of it she would be healed.” She did and immediately she was made well. Take a moment to reflect on what may be too much in your own life. Learn from the woman, who Jesus referred to as “Daughter” and how coming to Jesus in faith releases His power to dry up the excess in our lives.

~TRS 1/18/26

Provision in the Dry Places

(part 2)

Sometimes the dry places of life can prepare us for bigger battles we will face. In 1 Kings the prophet Elijah had prophesied that there would not be any rain for a time period because of the wickedness of the people of Israel’s sin. This lets us know that when we deliberately choose to walk away from the will of God consequences will follow, but for our own good. Discipline is to teach us self control, responsibility, and personal growth.

During the time of the drought God had informed Elijah that his needs would be provided for down at the brook Cherith. God had commanded the ravens to feed him morning and evening and he would quench his thirst in the brook. Elijah was obedient and did according unto the word of the Lord and “after a while the brook dried up.” This lets us know that even the place that God may lead us to for a time will supply our needs for that time period until He is ready for us to move on to another place.

At this point being in a dry place will cause us to see that we are to “move on.” There are times when things may be going good and we become content when God wants us to go to another place to be a blessing to others. This leads him to the widow who God had commanded to take care of Elijah. This would have been interesting because in that time typically a widow would be the one who would need taken care of. Elijah goes to her and she tells him she has only very little. Basically just enough for one more meal and she was going to fix it for her and her son and then they would basically starve to death. Elijah encouraged her to “Fear not,” or not to be filled with anxiety over her situation, but to trust in God and He would provide. The widow had been in a hopeless situation, but agreed to do according to what Elijah had spoken. She chose to trust versus continue in hopelessness. As she did she realized her dry place was going to be taken care of by having just enough oil in her earthen vessel until the rain came again.

The key word in that is “until.” God was supernaturally going to supply their needs until He sent the rain back and then things would go back to how they normally sustained themselves. In some of our dry times of life God will still care for us through our obedience, but we are never to think that when God does supernatural things for us that means He will continually do it that way. Through these experiences Elijah went through was also preparing him for a bigger battle he would soon face with the “evil king and Jezebel.” So if you are currently in a dry place stop to think about how God can use the situation to prepare you for something bigger you may face and how through your trust and obedience will lead to provision even in the midst of a dry place.

12-14-25 ~TRS

Listening To Wise Counsel

Rays of Hope ~ Tim Stockton

Have you ever regretted a decision that you chose to do and can even hear a memory of someone saying, “I told you that was not a good idea.” I would have to say that if someone holds a bad decision over us and continually reminds us of a time we may have lapsed in good judgment, that is not a positive thing. That is not a good friend and though they may have offered wise counsel at one time to be negative towards us continually and to throw it up in our face is not a wise thing to do.

However, most who are willing to give wise counsel are probably not ones that will rub it in your face if you don’t heed to their advice. There are times in our lives that it does us well to seek out wisdom from others who have what some say, “been there, done that.” Sometimes experience is better than gained knowledge and a great Biblical example is from the book of Acts chapter 27 when we can read about the time Paul was being transported by ship to Rome.

On the journey there the winds began to get contrary and from 2 Corinthians Paul later wrote that he had been in 3 shipwrecks already. From these experiences of being tossed to and fro in a ship in a tumultuous sea and even once for a night and day he had “spent in the deep.” Acts 27:9-10, “By now much time had passed and the voyage was already dangerous…Paul gave his advice and told them, “I perceive that this trip is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” Paul was telling this advice based on his past experiences, not from a “revelation or vision” he had as he did have in the past; or like he did have about the situation days later. Instead of listening to Paul the owner of the ship, the Captain of the ship and the Roman soldier in charge of delivering the prisoner to Rome dismissed Paul and agreed that it would be okay to continue sailing on.

They set sail and at first everything seemed alright, but before long a “fierce wind” took control of the ship for 2 weeks those on board were tossed around and sea sick and had come to a point of losing all hope until Paul was able to share with them again a vision that he had now had about their situation. In Acts 27:21 Paul encourages them, “You should have followed my advice, but now I urge you to take courage because there will be no loss of lives, but only of the ship.”

We can learn from this story of how important it is to get and then follow wise, godly counsel and that if we decide not to, there will be consequences. In the book of Proverbs 1:5 it reads, “A wise person will hear and increase learning, and a person of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

~TRS 11/16/25

Getting the Gift of Grace

This past Sunday was a church Fall Festival with the theme, “His grace falls on us.” Festivals are a fun time for people to get together and fellowship and for the kids and kids at heart to do some fun activities. Being a pastor now too I remember one of my former pastors saying when you get a big group of people together there is no better time than to preach truth. We had several youth who did awesome jobs of singing and then I had an opportunity to share about what grace is.

Since that was part of our theme I took the word grace and made it into an acronym; G.R.A.C. E. as a way to understand a bit more about what it means. The G stands for Gift; the grace of God cannot be earned and we will never deserve it. Grace is simply offered as a free gift. Ephesians 2:8-9 lets us know that “For by grace we have been saved when we believed and we can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

The R stands for repentance. This is the only thing that becomes our choice. We have to realize that we are a sinner and that there is none who are truly good and that we all need the grace of God and through repentance and “turning” from our own will and submitting to the will of God will we then receive the grace of God. In other words; no repentance, no grace. For those who do not choose God and submit to Him will not be covered by His grace.

When we have received Christ then we can trust in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you…and the power of Christ may rest upon you. This power is the A which equals the anointing of God. Once we have the anointing of God upon our lives we can be moved with what the C stands for and that is Compassion. The Bible teaches in Hebrews 4 that Jesus became our High Priest who was tempted in all ways, yet without sin, but that He in all ways understands our weaknesses. Therefore, we can come boldly before His throne of grace. When we have received the grace of God and experienced His compassion it will guide us in being moved with compassion towards others. Even those we may think in our minds that they don’t deserve it.

Even greater is what the E stands for and that is for “everyone.” God’s grace is for all people according to Titus 2:11-14. We are all one human race created by Him. We are all God’s creation, but we are not all God’s children until we do the R (repent). Through repentance is the process of being “born again” to becoming a child of God. So as this Fall season has started just be mindful of the grace of God. It is there ready to be taken if only we are ready to submit and change our ways through the process of repentance.

10-12-25 TRS

The Misplaced Being Found

I am sure I am not the only one who has ever “misplaced” something and spent lots of time looking for the item we label as lost. I had to for the purpose of this article and my own curiosity to know the difference between something being lost or something being misplaced. The online detailed breakdown for losing something is, “the owner loses possession without intending to do so and has no idea where the item is.” When something is misplaced is when “the owner deliberately puts the item down intending to retrieve it later, but forgets where the item has been placed.”

I had a specific folder that I had used before with information about a 3 day retreat for youth I have been involved with for the past 25 years. I had written in one of the manuals that I thought I had turned back into for someone else to use. It was going to be my turn to need the manual again and the main manual is white with a logo on the front. In my mind this is what I was looking for. I looked and looked and searched and searched with no luck of finding the folder.

Days, weeks, and even months went by and I had still not found the folder I was going to be needing soon. Then one night on my night stand I have several books and folders and I wasn’t looking for the manual I had “lost” but I picked up a plain red folder and just so happened opened it up and looked inside. It was the manual I had been looking for. What was lost or misplaced was now back in my possession. I was relieved yet a bit frustrated that what I had spent so much time looking for when it was just a couple feet from where I sleep every night.

It made me think of how God is always around us but if we are not truly seeking Him He won’t be found. Some may think God is a “certain way,” like me thinking the folder I was looking for was white with a logo, when actually it was a plain solid red folder. When I had finally stopped looking for what I thought it should be like then I found what I was really looking for.

It also reminded me of the story in 1 Kings where Elijah had an encounter with God. Elijah was told to look for God and he soon realized that God was not in the mighty wind, the earthquake, nor the fire, but in a still small voice. We often look for God in the big things they may happen in our life and miss Him in the times he is the closest in the small things going on in our everyday lives.

Take time to be still and recognize when God is possibly the closest to you. Just like the famous poem Footprints in the Sand, Jesus is often carrying us during the tough times of life when we think He is far from us. Jesus too is still looking for the lost. He knows all things, but He is like my red folder. He is close by, but it is not until we realize that we are the one lost that then we can be found.

Acts 17:27, “That they should seek the Lord, and perhaps they might feel their way toward Him and find Him; though He is not far from any one of us.”

~TRS

When You Feel Worthless

Insignificantly Significant

Something that is insignificant means to be unimportant, trivial, or of little consequence. It can also refer to small things, or things that are inadequate, or lacks distinction. It is quite amazing that the Creator of the Universe and time would choose to most often use the things, nations, or people who by human standards are insignificant. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1-3, “And when I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, fear, and the awe of God.”

The plan of salvation was known before creation as it is referenced in Revelation 13:8, “The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.” God made a way for all to come to know Him personally. He first chose an insignificant nation at the time who was smaller and weaker than others to ultimately show and model justice, love, and worship to the world. Israel was chosen for a specific purpose not to exclude other nations from God, but to be used as a means of extending God’s blessings and salvation to all people. Israel’s role and purpose was to provide the human line through which the Messiah would come. Again God chose to come through the “insignificant” to become the most significant, which is the quality of being worthy of attention and importance.

Jesus did not come into a “royal, well to do family.” He was born in a stable around animals to a working class family. He wasn’t raised by a Pharisee or Sadducee, the religious elite of the time. He was raised by a carpenter, not a king or a soldier. He was humble and walked or rode on a lowly donkey. Though He will be returning as a warrior-king riding a white horse to destroy one thing specifically that He created, which is time.

Time is significant. It is something that stops for no one. When God started the clock it continues to move forward until He stops it and it will be no more. There is no time in eternity. Though our own time is temporary on this earth. This again makes time very important. We can become either so busy that we don’t even savor the time we have, or be so lazy that time is wasted. We need to be thankful for the times we have had that are now in yesterdays and cherish what time we have in the moment, and have hope for the time we may be blessed with in the future. But, the most important and significant thing we can do in the time that we have is understand what the plan of salvation is that came through the most insignificant ways. Though it came about through insignificant ways it is very significant that there is no other way. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.”

Originally written for the Wayne Weekly June 2025

~TRS

Taking Responsibility

Take Responsibility; Pay the Price

In times past many would quote a definition from Webster, but now it is a simple thing to type in a word online and get many options to choose a definition from. I wanted a simple explanation of what many even from a kid should know about so I chose to use the definition from talkingtreebooks.com with a “simple definition for kids” for the word: responsibility, which means “you do the things you are supposed to do and accept the results of your actions.”

For many of us at various times in our lives I am sure we may have experienced a time when we did something that did not turn out quite the way we wanted it to and did not want to admit and/or accept the consequences of the actions that we chose to do. It is a parent/caregiver’s responsibility to teach their children about responsibility and to hold them accountable for their choices. Often people will make bad decisions based off of the negative life experiences they have tragically had to endure such as abuse, trauma, or being raised in a home of an addict, narcissist, or witnessing domestic violence. However, if a person then chooses to make negative decisions also and blame it on their own past there has to come a point that they take responsibility for their own current choices. Unless there is something drastically wrong with your mentality everyone has the capability to change.

Changing to become a “better person” is an option every single person has the ability to do. Our choices impact others, therefore we need to be held accountable and take responsibility if some form of harm befalls others from our decisions.

In the OT book of Joshua chapters 6 and 7 explains a situation when the children of Israel were told not to do something and that if that thing was done; specifically to take plunder of things accursed death would be a result. This lets us know that we typically know in advance what we should or should not do. We hopefully are taught from a young age not to commit crimes. Even if a child was raised in a home with thieves at some point in their life they are going to be told that is a crime and jail time will be a consequence. This lets one know that once truth about a matter is known it becomes a choice to continue in it or change.

In Joshua chapter 7 the man named Achan took those “accursed things” and hid them in his tent. When he was found out or “caught” he could have tried to lie his way out of it, but he at least even knowing the consequences he took responsibility and admitted it. He explained that he coveted the things; which basically is like having an itch you just feel you have to scratch. His choices not only impacted him, but his family and was a direct link to 36 others dying. When you make a choice once or especially if it is a continual choice you are making, know the time may come to pay the price.

~TRS 5-25-25