Why Is It Still Raining?

Need a fresh take on waiting? Nicole Jacobsmeyer offers just that!

Elisa

Why Is It Still Raining?

By Nicole Jacobsmeyer

I was driving in the rain to pick up my boys from school and Maddie, our youngest and only girl, started singing in the back seat. “Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. Little Maddie wants to play. Rain, rain, go away.”

She looked outside, tracing the droplets on the rainy glass window with a frown on her face and asked, “Why is it still raining?” As if her sweet song could change the weather.

Then she asked me again, “Mama, why is it still raining?”

I felt her innocent question hit my soul because it became personal. I had been asking similar questions of the Lord lately. My heart silently asked, Why is it still raining, Lord? Have You forgotten us? Do You hear our prayers? Will You come through?

I was becoming restless with my circumstances, not waiting on the Lord for His plan to prevail or trusting that He knew what He was doing.

Maddie persisted with the question, and asked again, “Mama, why is it still raining? I want to play!”

Then I heard myself responding to her and said, “It’s still raining, sweetie, because something still has to grow.”

As my eyes filled with tears, I knew at that very moment I would revisit this simple reminder. I’m still waiting and it’s still raining because something still has to grow. Our season was filled with too much rain, too much waiting, and seemingly too much silence from the Lord.

At the time my waiting felt unbearable. I had recently had blood work and a neck scan and I was waiting on the results, hoping against a possible cancer recurrence. We were waiting for job clarity and for our house to sell because we would be moving. We were waiting for our kids to get better from seasonal school sickness and for time and space to mend relationships. It seemed as if every day we were waiting for news or answers. It felt unending as we held our breath and kept going. Some days, a routine was the only thing that kept me above water. Distraction and routine, rinse and repeat.

This specific year had me waiting in unfamiliar territory and forced me to rely on God in new ways. I learned to sit with Him and to linger in His presence. I couldn’t rush my test results, force healthy relationships, or make house buyers appear at the door. I couldn’t insert myself into my husband’s job negotiations and I couldn’t protect my kids from illnesses going around at school. I couldn’t be everything to everyone. In fact, I was essentially powerless in all of it.

The only option was either to complain (which unfortunately I did at first) or pray for the patience that only the Spirit gives when we choose to seek His presence.

Patience is when we accept the wait. We don’t get angry, we don’t force circumstances to change, and we don’t get agitated. We accept that God is over all, and perfectly sovereign in the waiting. This is easy enough to write, but harder to apply to life situations.

I’m sure you’ve experienced times like these. It can feel so isolating and frustrating and painful, but I’ll tell you what I also told myself: God is growing you even in this season of unanswered prayers and unending waiting. He’s not done with your story. He’s not far off. He’s not ignoring you. Something good is growing while you wait. God is producing something good in your life because of this season, even when the waiting feels unbearable.

Looking back on that year, I found myself praying more than I ever have. I also found myself in Psalm 13 a lot. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God” (vv. 1–3).

We can live in both places. Our eyes swollen from tears, throat parched, but also confident that God will save us.

We can go to the Father as David did. We can come to the Lord with all of our praise, requests, honor, thanks, and yes, even authentic laments. But just like David, we don’t stay there in our complaints and anger. David goes on:

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (vv. 5–6).

David has a heartfelt and honest prayer to God. But then he ends with truth. “I trust in your unfailing love. . . . for he has been good to me.”

Knowing that I can pray honest prayers while also trusting in God’s faithfulness, His plan for my life, and His love for me helps me wait with patience and my heart becomes at peace. He knows your future and what will happen in every situation. You just have to get to a place where you don’t have to know the answers and can rest that He knows. We don’t have to know. He is God, we are not. His plans are better. (We should repeat that to ourselves every day!)

Psalm 13 is a great place to start in your waiting season as it reminds us that we can be honest with the Lord and go to Him in every circumstance and with every one of our emotions.

Excerpt from Something Good Will Grow by Nicole Jacobsmeyer. (©2026). Published by Moody Publishers. Used with permission.

Nicole Jacobsmeyer is a sought-after speaker and author who strives to equip and challenge others to walk faithfully in Christ regardless of life’s battles. She is the author of Something Good Will Grow. Through biblical teaching, her authenticity, and the sharing of her own struggles and pain, Nicole encourages women to place all their hope in the Lord. She and her husband, Andrew, have four precious kiddos and reside in North Carolina on their farm, The Faithful Homestead. Connect with Nicole at https://www.nicolejacobsmeyer.com/