After the Rain

"After the Rain," is the sequel to "Through the Storms and Through the Rain." It is a collection of poems that continues to describe how I felt when I was about 25 or 30 years old. I write about God in almost every poem because He has had such an impact on my life. He has become such an ever-present Friend until I have literally become consumed by His presence. Because I am so consumed by His presence I have come to have a great love and respect for Him. Almost every poem in some way describes how I learn to trust him and how I am continuously learning to trust and depend upon Him. It was not an easy process for me to trust and depend upon God. I constantly expressed how I felt and the struggles I encountered as I learned to love God, trust God and depend upon His Word. In my first book, "Through the Storms and Through the Rain, ' I describe many of my pent up feelings. I express a lot of self-doubt, pain, and disappointment. It was not easy having to deal with each difficulty that came into my life. I felt that if God was who He said He was then my life would not have to be so full of pain and heartache. When it seemed that He would not take the difficulties away I would become angry and accuse Him of all my pain. My philosophy was that if He were God then He was able to fix any problem and that included taking pain and disappointment out of my life. And when He didn't I became even more angry. I often wondered how a loving God could allow so much pain and so much heart-ache in people's lives. He reminded me that we live in a fallen world where there is much sin, anguish, and pain. Each of us will be affected by it whether we desire it or not. But it is our attitude toward the heartache and pain that determines our outcome. So God taught me that pain, heartache, and sorrow will come because I am not in Heaven. But He has already overcome this world. I have to focus my heart and soul upon Him. The prophet Isaiah reminds me that "God will keep me in perfect peace if I keep my mind stayed on Him." (Isaiah 26:3)