Notes From the Front Porch: Parables, Sudden Rains, and Minor Lords

Notes from the Front Porch

Parables, Sudden Rains & Minor Lords

I have been learning a lot lately about how to write a parable.

At its heart, a parable is a simple story that teaches a lasting lesson. Jesus loved to use everyday elements—seeds, lanterns, sheep, mountains, valleys, flowing rivers, and fruit on the vine. Simple, tangible things to explain deep, spiritual truths.

God has been using a very specific element to show me a lot lately: rain.

I’ve had more days off lately, but I swear every time I am yearning to step out the door for a walk, a sudden rain shower comes out of nowhere five minutes beforehand and halts my plans. It forces me inside. It forces me to stop, adapt, and find something meaningful to do within my walls.

When the Weather Shifts

Earlier this week, my entire schedule was shifted around, only to be flipped right back the next morning. It felt like a micro-storm of confusion. I was annoyed at first, but then I tried to see the silver lining—at least I wouldn't go over my hours.

Moments like that are a gentle reminder of how quickly the environment around us can change, and how jarring it is when the places and routines we count on suddenly feel unpredictable.

It saddens me how often we put our trust in human institutions or leaders, only to be reminded that human nature is messy, flawed, and often driven by motives we can't see or understand. The yardstick used in corporate offices or organizational halls is so vastly different from the one we are called to measure our lives by.

The Lesson of the Minister

That brings me to the backstory I learned today about a local minister who was fired years ago. It wasn't that he failed at his calling; he did it exceedingly well. He did what the Bible calls us to do: he lived and loved like Jesus.

But there are so many "lords" (with a little l) who demand that their way is the only way. Even when someone performs exceptionally, if they don't live up to whatever unwritten standard these little lords possess, they try to cast them out. They want to control the narrative. They want to decide who gets to stay and who has to leave.

That minister showed me something profound: The rain came, the wind blew, but his hope was built on a secure foundation.

He said he may never be a pastor again, but God led him to a place where he found true peace and happiness. I pray I can hold onto that same perspective when the world feels upside down.

Weathering the "Reigns"

Sometimes, those sudden downpours aren't God’s "for the greater good" rains. Sometimes, they are simply the rains (reigns) of minor lords trying to flex their muscles, or the natural fallout of living in a fallen, complicated world.

That realization brings a deep, quiet peace. It reminds me that when human systems break down around us, or when news leaves us feeling disheartened and unsettled, we don't have to carry the weight of it.

Our hope isn't tied to the whims or actions of flawed people. Our hope is in God, and He will guide us into a bright new day if we simply lean on His understanding instead of our own.

"In quietness and trust is your strength." — Isaiah 30:15

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Quiet Assurance - Context and Devotional on 1 John 3:19-21

  That's a powerful and comforting verse! To understand 1 John 3:20, it's helpful to look at the verses surrounding it and the overall themes of the letter. Here's some context: Immediate Context (1 John 3:19-21): Verse 19: "This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence." This verse sets the stage. John is talking about how believers can have assurance of their faith and peace with God. He's emphasizing the importance of action and love as evidence of genuine faith. Verse 21: "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God." This verse presents a contrasting scenario. When our conscience is clear, we have boldness and confidence in our relationship with God. Connecting Verse 20: Verse 20 comes in the middle of this discussion about assurance and a clear conscience. It addresses the times when our hearts do condemn us. This could be due to: Genuine conviction o...
Read more

🌿 Juniper Hollow Devotional: Called To The Interview, Held by Grace

  Aimee Little bit her fingernail as she surveyed the space around her. The place seemed stiff and lonely. Although, the woman on the phone setting the interview up seemed nice enough, pleasant, bright and happy. Interviews sometimes felt like you were walking the plank hoping that when you finally stepped off the edge sharks weren’t circling below you. She took at deep breath and let it out slowly.   Her mom, Charlotte, had convinced her to go for a better paying job at one of the local government offices in town. The Herald newspaper had laid off half their design and production staff due to lower subscriptions since the takeover from the new, not so altruistic, company. Mrs. Brighton, former owner, had been put in a nursing home recently and that gave her sons carte blanche to sell the paper out from under her. It was a sad reality of life sometimes.  It was sad life had become about how much money you could make to survive. The position she was applying for wouldn’t b...
Read more

Devotion: The Unshakable Foundation

  Devotion: The Unshakable Foundation Story: Sarah loved the little chapel on the hill. It had been a part of her life since childhood, its wooden pews and stained-glass windows standing as quiet witnesses to years of prayers, laughter, and tears. But now, after a long battle with illness, her grandfather—who had once been the chapel’s caretaker—was gone. The grief sat heavy in her chest. One afternoon, unable to shake the weight of loss, she walked up the hill to the chapel. As she approached, she noticed something unsettling—one of the foundation stones had shifted. The chapel, built on solid ground for decades, was now showing signs of wear. She knelt beside the stone, running her fingers over its worn surface, and whispered, “Things aren’t supposed to change like this.” Just then, an elderly man from the congregation, Mr. Bennett, walked up the path. Seeing her distress, he sat beside her. “You know,” he said, “this stone has been here longer than I have. And it may shift, but...
Read more