Hebrews 6:7

"When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing."

We don't usually think of a rainy day as a blessing. Typically, we desire sunny days for our outside adventures. Of course we know that farmers need rain in order to nourish their crops, but we don't want their "need for rain" to interrupt our "need for clear skies." We don't want any rain on our parade.

But what if we thought about our rainy days in a different way? What if we considered how our misfortune could be to someone else's benefit? For example, if I don't get the promotion that I apply for, it's likely that someone else did. Even in our disappointment, we should be happy for this other person. Of course, not all bad things have positive side effects. But a lot of our misfortunes may not be so bad once we consider the bigger picture.

So here is a radical experiment to try the next time you are in a parking lot or a mall. As you walk along, surreptitiously drop some money from your pocket. (You decide how much that should be, a dollar, a five, a ten, a twenty, you decide.) Just let it go and say a little prayer that it might help someone else.

I know what you are thinking. "Wouldn't it be better to just give the money to someone in need? Tossing it into the wind is so haphazard." Maybe so, but just as God blesses the farmer with rain, he can get your gift to the person he wants to bless.

(New Living Translation; photo credit: Clark Young via Unsplash)