like the rain

Quick update: Last Saturday I participated in the A21 walk against prostitution. It was the first one in Sevilla, which was an honor to be a part of. Even though it was pouring rain most of the walk, it was undeniably powerful. My roommate was also traveling for that weekend, so I got a lot of introvertive, reflective time inside away from the rain. Netflix also came to Spain this week, which could definitely be a means of hindering my experience here… we’ll see how that goes. Volunteering happened this week. Flamenco happened. Great conversations happened. Exams happened. Laughs, picnics, shopping, and rowing happened. We also took a field trip to Ronda on Friday, which was breathtakingly gorgeous. And that’s all the updates I have. Another fleeting week in Spain came and went.

            Now onto my jumbled, deep, crazy thoughts about my time in Spain. I’ve wanted to write a post like this for a while, but I just haven’t been able to spill it out on a document. The consistent pattering of the rain has been nagging me, and I’ve finally given in.

            Ever since I arrived in Spain, I’ve been listening to one particular song almost every single day here and meditating on it. The song is My Soul Longs for You by Misty Edwards. It’s really struck a chord with me in my personal life and just looking around me at the life being lived in Spain.

            There was a longing in my heart for this adventure months before it actually began. That longing derived from being worn down and wanting to escape my normal life to be solely with Jesus. I yearned to be on an adventure away from my comforts where the only tangible thing I could grab hold of would be God. I also wanted to get a piece of Spain, a piece of this culture and a piece of the beauty of this city. I wanted to try new things, see new things, and be challenged. I think this can all be tied together as a raw longing for the Lord: for His land, for His culture, for His beauty. He is in the midst of it all, and I know that my heart is ultimately seeking Him.

Some days, I’ve been able to address this longing in my soul and come before the Lord, just seeking His presence. Other days, I’ve just watched Netflix and screamed and covered my eyes whenever I saw a fall picture from home on Facebook.

I have most definitely reached the mid-semester slump recently, but eventually that just added more fuel to my longing: a longing for more time away, for more challenges, for more adventures, and for more God. In truth, I am even more excited for the next two months here because I reached that difficult point of missing home. My longing for God is stronger. My heart is blazing with hope and excitement for the rest of the semester.

            I don’t think my heart is the only one that has this raw longing for God.

            On the contrary, I think every single person on this planet has it, and I can see it so evidently all around me.

My soul longs for you; nothing else will do.

Walking home one day, I listened to these very words through my headphones as my gaze fell on a man that was smoking a cigarette, a commonality here in Spain. I turned my head and saw alcohol being advertised on billboards. Nothing else will do. All humans have a yearning for something higher, a fascination with seeking and experiencing. Often this longing is manifested in different ways like smoking, drinking, and experimenting with drugs and sex. But the truth still remains: nothing else will do.

            I believe you will come like the rain.

Seville is very dry, but lately it’s been raining a lot. This city frankly just isn’t built for the rain. Street gutters practically don’t exist, and most sidewalks turn into an ice-rink with the rain. It’s a city that was built expecting years of dryness.

Along with physically being dry, this place is also very spiritually dry. Evangelical churches aren’t common; in fact a lot of Spaniards find them weird and cultish. Less than 2% of this entire country is Protestant Christian. Many Spaniards profess to be Catholics, but truly are only by title. Spirit-filled churches do exist here, but I’ve been constantly surprised at how small they are. Seville is a dry city indeed.

Even through this, I can believe that the Lord will come like the rain. He will quench these dry streets. He will fill every longing. He will come like the rain. I can have this fervent hope in my heart, pray it over the people, and be encouraged every day as I walk through the streets. Maybe I won’t do anything spectacularly wonderful for the Lord while I’m here. Maybe there will still be years of spiritual dryness, but I can be confident that a change is coming. These Spaniards will know God, and they will exalt Him. He truly will come and will satisfy every soul that has been trying to seek His presence through mistaken ways.

He will come

Like the rain

So let it rain.