A Steady Rain

       I believe God is gentle with people, like a nice steady rain - at least He's always been faithful gentle with me.  Sometimes we are more like fire hoses toward people, painfully blasting them & spraying them down. We actually end up injuring and traumatizing people with the very things that are meant to bring healing. Then we wonder why people cower and crawl away. All the while we conveniently don't see  the red blotches we gave them from the painful water pressure we applied.
        I've seen many gifted prophetic people do this. They may be old in age but they are still young in their gift. The very gift given to bring hope and healing ends up causing the hurting to bleed more. They use their gift to spiritually strip people naked but never offer new clothes, a blanket or even a towel for them to cover up. And we wonder why they leave our church, our ministry, our friendship etc. No one wants to remain naked. They pack their bags and move on to a place that feels more safe.
       The "fire hose" approach is not just used in ministry, but we can get into a habit of using it in our families because we are comfortable. It's easy to get harsh, allowing our rough edges to remain. I remember my hubs and I got in a little disagreement and I got an attitude about it. The Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Do I treat you that way?" and I was quickly humbled. Not only does God NOT treat me that way. He also does not treat others that way.
        Does God blast us? Is He impatient? Rude? Unkind? Exposing? Causing us shame, fear or humiliation? No way! He is gentle with us!  If the God of the universe does not brutally spray us down with a fire hose, why do we feel justified in dishing that out to others? We should be a gentle, steady rain - refreshing and healing. It should sooth all it touches, not leave welts. :-)
        As the years go by and I continue to grow in my relationship with God, I'm seeing more and more how gentle and kind He is towards me. It makes me want to give the same away to others.  We can be firm yet gentle, solid yet gentle, sold out yet gentle. Being gentle does not mean you are wishy washy, two faced or weak. It means we apply everything with love and leave lots of room for grace and mercy, knowing that everyone is on a journey becoming more like Jesus. It's a process.
           The world is harsh enough. Lets be a safe place - a soft and steady rain.