When everything seems to be going wrong in your life, there’s one expression you may have heard: ”When it rains, it pours.” I know I have. It’s an expression that expresses exasperation when a myriad of events take place without explanation. So, what’s the origin of the expression?
The Morton Salt Company corporate headquarters is located in Silver Springs, New York on Rt. 19 S. There’s a sign out front: “When it rains it pours.” After some research I found that back in 1911 they began using this as their advertising slogan. Salt clumps together when it absorbs moisture. So, Morton Salt added magnesium carbonate, an anti-caking agent, to the salt, and this allowed it to pour freely. The company wanted to emphasize the idea that their salt would pour freely, even in damp weather. They added a little girl with an umbrella to the slogan, and it caught on, making Morton Salt one of the largest producers of salt in North America. The mines are enormous, running 2,000 feet under Lake Erie from Western New York, to Pennsylvania, on in to Ohio.
The photo above was taken in back of the church, near the Ark playground. I’m in the photo, standing alongside of seven men who attended our “Over-the-Top” Men’s Breakfast last Saturday. They are intercessors from six different churches in the Buffalo area. I took them on a tour of the building and explained how each section was built over the past 26 years. As I spoke about the difficulties that come with any building project, I shared from deep in my heart…“ I really believe that there is still one more building to build, a “Family Life Center:” I wept as I shared the vision, and they responded!
Without hesitation, they wanted to know where it would be located, and then insisted that we pray on the land where it is to be built. It was pouring rain! A hard, cold, wet spring rain, not the kind of rain you go out and stand in! I suggested that maybe some other time we could pray outside on the land, but they insisted we needed to go out right then and pray! For 10 minutes we prayed. The prayer was powerful as they interceded….”Lord let it rain….let it pour….water the seed and bring the harvest!” We got soaked and clumped together like a large chunk of salt in the rain. They prayed, I wept and was deeply encouraged.
“When it rains it pours,” and God’s Holy Spirit shows up to encourage our dreams and hopes for the future. It’s during the times of trials that God makes us SALT so we can be the light of the world. Imagine the families and young people whose lives would be impacted by a “Family Life Center!”
NOTE: On Saturday morning at 8am, in the Youth Sanctuary, The Men’s Ministry will be kicking off a series called: “When It’s All Said and Done.” The five week Saturday morning series is designed to encourage men with timeless life principles. Each week there will be a different speaker. We will begin with a light breakfast and coffee, listen to a 20 minute teaching, and then discuss the life principle in small groups around the tables.
I really believe that “when it rains it pours,” and “when it’s all said and done,” we will clump together like salt in the rain of the Holy Spirit. (Salt is one of the strongest chemical bonds known to man. Made up of sodium and chloride, both dangerous alone, but together they become life.)
- ”If we lose our saltiness we are good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)
- But together we can “trample on snakes and scorpions and all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19)
Saturday mornings will be an encouraging time. We have about 45 men signed up. So, MEN, set aside the time, show up, be encouraged and be an encourager.
- Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.
MAKING MEN TO BE SALT SO THEY CAN BE LIGHT!
Pastor Pat
P.S. Mark Saturday, June 10th on your calendar. Chuck Stecker will be with us for an all-day men’s retreat at Crossroads. Maybe we will call it, ”WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS?” What do you think?
