Paintball, Rain, Faith

Advanced Paintball Training

Friday, March 23, 2012

Tomorrow, Noel and I wanted to set up an advanced paintball training session per special request.  *so excited*  Only issue is that the weather report states rain is expected.  Noooooooo....

Lord Father in heaven, can we please host this paintball training session tomorrow?  Noel and I are both looking forward to being out on the paintball field again, but there's threat of rain.  God, please hold back the rain to about 4pm... I want to host this paintball training session tomorrow, so please please hold back the rain until we're done playing paintball and get all our gear put away!

Father, this whole week, Noel and I have anxiously looked at the weather report... no changes.  And yet, each time we pray to you about being able to host this event, neither of us feel that we should cancel.  Lord God, I'm scared, but also depending on you to hold back the rain because Noel and I are going to keep moving forward with our advanced paintball training day... trusting that you'll hold back the rain for us.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

So gloomy today... wind's kind of cold too... but so far, no rain!!!  Hurray!!!

At Santa Clara Paintball (SCP), the sky looks gray and heavy... will it rain? Noel and I both prayed and will trust God to hold back the rain for us.  We're both committed to continue with our training session.  *wide grin* Or are we?

While setting up, a light drizzle starts up.  Ahhhhhh... if it rains any harder or the wind picks up any stronger... our gear will get wet and the paintballs will melt into puddles!  Well... not that bad, but we've got people participating from church who are driving over 45 minutes, committed to come because we stated God will hold back the rain.

Lord, please hold back the rain... let us have a good day to train our youth in skills needed to play a more advanced style of paintball.  Father, I will depend on you to provide the perfect weather for us to practice... everything from rain, to breeze, to the condition of the field, and the availability of the fields needed to match our training regime.  God, in your hands... Noel and I will place this whole day!

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

When everyone arrived... a slight drizzle continued... will the drizzle turn into rain?  Sure looks like it... and the direction of wind is actually brining even darker thicker clouds!  Should we still continue?  Noel and I prayed... continuing with our paintball session didn't feel wrong... so we will have faith in our God and Jesus to hold back the rain.  And so, in faith and with the sky drizzling a light mist of water, we continued to pull out all our equipment, dress-up in gear (padding, pants, jerseys), pay for paint...  Scary... even knowing/feeling that God will provide... I'm still nervous... inside me... there's still a little voice of doubt... knowing God's powerful enough... but am I hearing him correctly?  It's _still_ drizzling!

No backing out now... We are 9 people fully committed, dressed, prepped, and financially locked-in.  Together, we huddled close in prayer.  Again, we ask God, in Jesus' name, to bless our training day: that God will hold back the rain until we were done, to provide optimum weather conditions so that we wouldn't get tired from being too warm, that we would have as much time and field space we needed for practice.  

Stepping out into the occasional drizzle, we started our first practice of the day.  On the field, the wind disappeared, the drizzle stopped... magic!  The temperature felt cool, but not cold anymore.  The ground wasn't wet at all when I laid down... did it even drizzle here?  Nothing felt damp, no wind, no cold.  God truly created a magical space just for us!  *awe*

Lord Father in heaven, thank you thank you THANK YOU for providing us as much time as we wanted to practice paintball.  Thank you for blessing us with perfect weather on the field today.  Thank you for providing every trainee with their own elbow/knee pads, paintball pants, and jersey to wear for this day.  Thank you that even as our various equipment failed, there were enough guns for all our trainees to use.  Thank you for blessing us with the awesomely friendly and supportive staff at Santa Clara Paintball throughout the entire day that makes this type of event possible and so enjoyable.  

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to brag about how awesome a God you are... that you held the rain until the very moment everything was packed into the cars.  As we stepped into our cars to leave for a late lunch, you allowed the rain to start pouring down.  How much more clear that even for a day of paintball, you held back the rain until the moment we were completely done!

I praise you, Father in heaven, for a perfectly tailored day, for the clouds so no one got too hot, and for the clear proof that you are real... loving us enough to hold back a morning and afternoon of rain just so we can play. The downpour while we ate lunch became clear proof to me about how much rain you withheld while we played.... showing me a glimpse for how impossible and uncomfortable this day could have been if not for you.

God in heaven, may you continue to be glorified!  In Jesus' name, amen.