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For most people, rain on their vacation would put a damper on their fun. That day, we awoke from pleasant dreams to the sound of rain tiptoeing across the balcony ledge of our room. This was no damper; my husband and I loved the rain, and besides, we'd be spending most of the day inside a bus, as we toured the beautiful land of Israel.
We were staying in Tiberias, at the Sheraton Inn. The aroma of a delicious buffet breakfast tickled the senses as it enticed everyone into the dining hall. We filled our hunger with delicious fruit and vegetables, cheeses and breads, as we sat lazily chatting amongst our little group. Finally, we made our way out to the tour buses to begin the day's ventures.
I heard some people complaining about the rain, while we waited for Yoni, our security guard, to give the go-ahead to leave. How could anyone hate the rain? It brought life.
That day as we traveled all over the Galilean country-side, and into the Golan Heights, we marveled at the beauty that God had bestowed upon the land of Israel. The rolling hills with flocks scattered across them, reminded me of the scripture that tells us that God owns the cattle on all the hills. It was breathtaking. Passing by numerous crops of every kind of fruit, I was also reminded that Jesus had said the desert will flourish. Most certainly it had.
On our way back to our hotel that afternoon, our tour guide, Avi, began to speak about the rain. He told us that in three years, Israel had not had a significant amount of rain, and was actually in the midst of a small drought. However, on that day, he'd seen the more rain come down than he had in all of those three years. He reminded us to look at the sea of Galilee as we entered Tiberias, explaining that through the drought, the waters had receded at least a foot, and the boats sitting at the port no longer had the protection of the black rubber bumpers nailed to the docks. This rain was a much needed blessing.
As we entered Tiberias, the majority of us had our eyes fastened on the sea. It was almost sad, but still very beautiful. The clouds of the day had parted slightly and the sun was peeking through, making Galilee shimmer. Despite what the drought had done, the sea was still a jewel of Israel. I began to hear gasps throughout the bus, and little whispers of "Oh look!" My eyes caught a glimpse of what they were all marveling at. A beautiful rainbow had made it's appearance, and marked the day with joy. Even those who had complained about the rain earlier in the day, couldn't hate it any longer.
For most people, rain on their vacation would put a damper on their fun, but for us, it was an added bonus to an already awesome trip. I went to sleep that night thanking God for blessing us so greatly that day with little drops of heaven.
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (Psalm 68:9 KJV)
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