Don’t ask me to pray for the sun!!

What a bank holiday? Why is it, the sun always comes out on the Tuesday as many people head back to work? As a Minister in the Army, our soldiers seem to take great delight in blaming me for the weather. Of course, if it is ever nice and sunny, I’ll take the credit for God, but the rain…I’ve got to say I get a bit bored of my faith being challenged most weeks as a consequence of bad weather, but at least I guess they are talking about God, if only blaming him for the wet!
While in Batus, a training ground in Canada, I have to say I was fed up with the rain. The conditions were really dangerous and whenever we drove anywhere, my prayers were intermingled with swear words, as I honestly thought we were going to die. I had had enough of the rain and snow and hail and bogginess of the ground. I was fed up of being blamed for the bad weather; ‘Come on Padre, can’t you put in a good word for some sun.’ and in the words of Robbie Williams, I felt God was laughing at my plans as every time I prayed for the Sun, out poured the rain.
While out there, I came across a soldier who I knew was a Christian. I moaned to him saying I was getting the blame for all the bad weather. He replied saying, ‘Yeah but we’ve got to praise God for His goodness.’ I said; ‘I am struggling to be honest’. He then went on to say that on the way to the exercise his bergen (with all of his kit needed for a week on exercise) had fallen off of the transport and was lost in the middle of a training area over 100miles square! But he was still praising God because he had taken out his bible beforehand so at least that didn’t get lost!!!!!.

The next day I gathered up some things for him, wash kit and underwear etc and bless him, he praised God again saying, ‘Padre I was just praying to God asking for socks.’ He certainly is a Soldier who seems able ‘to praise God in all circumstances.’ So even though we may be a bit fed up returning to work while it’s sunny, I will be thanking God for His goodness to me. Revd Tracey Bateson