Article Summary
“Rain, Car Seats, and God’s Love for Us” uses a simple moment of buckling a baby into a car seat during a rainstorm as a picture of how God lovingly shields His children. Just as a mother stands in the storm so her child stays safe, God stands between us and unseen harm, absorbing what could overwhelm us. Scripture reminds us that He is our shield, protection, and refuge, and the gospel shows this love most clearly in Jesus, who took the full weight of sin to bring us safely home to God. When we sacrificially love others, even at personal cost, we reflect His heart and point people back to the One who fully entered the storm for us.
By Abbey Steffey
The other day, I took my 8-month-old son to the grocery store – a feat in and of itself. Getting out of the house with a little one is never simple. By the time we finished shopping and I wheeled the cart to the car, I felt a small sense of accomplishment.
But then, just as I began loading up the bags … it started to rain.
If you’ve ever wrestled with car seat buckles in the middle of a downpour, you know it’s not fun. My son had no idea what was happening, no idea that I was being soaked to the bone. He just wanted to get out of the confines of the car seat and back to comfort. He looked at me confused.
As the rain pelted down on me, I had this sudden thought: This is what God does for us.
God Stands in the Storm for Us
While we do experience very real and difficult trials in this life (John 16:33) … it is also true that God often shields us from storms we do not even know are coming. Consider a few passages from God’s Word …
- “But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” (Psalm 3:3).
- “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (Psalm 18:2 NLT).
- “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore” (Psalm 125:2).
He shields. He protects. He surrounds us. He stands between us and the harm that could overwhelm us. He loves us enough to get wet. To take the brunt of the storm so that we can be safe and secure.
What a gift. What sacrifice. What deep, profound love.
Think about that for a second. Our God does not keep a safe distance, shouting directions from the sidelines, from the shore, from safety. He steps in. He stands over us. He shields us with His very presence.
A Glimpse of the Gospel
And as I buckled my son into his seat, looking at him through rain-speckled glasses, I realized that even this small moment of mothering was a glimpse of the gospel – of what Jesus did for us.
Loving someone unconditionally, especially when it costs you something, is hard and holy work. But it reflects the heart of Christ, who went to the cross for us, willingly taking on the storm of sin and death so that we might live.
The Bible says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
He did not wait for us to understand or appreciate His sacrifice. He loved us first. He absorbed the weight of our sin before we even knew how desperately we needed saving.
The Lord has saved and shielded us from storms we may never know about in this life. And for those trials in life we do have to face … He walks through them with us. So you are never alone.
When Love Costs Something
So the next time you find yourself standing in the rain for someone else, giving up comfort, or loving without recognition, remember: this is the kind of love God calls us to. It is a love that gives, that shields, that sacrifices… and in doing so, it points others to the One who has done it perfectly.
“The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.”
(Psalm 28:7 NLT)
