Rain is a universal phenomenon. All over it rains, except in deserts. Raining is merely recycling water. Rain fills the waterbodies. Then, water in rivers, lakes, and oceans evaporates and it rains down again, repeating the cycle.  Despite how heavily it rains, the total amount of water on earth is still always constant. 

However, it rains differently in various places and seasons.

It is time for monsoon in southern parts of India. During this season dark rain clouds travel from the southern tip of the country diagonally across past Myanmar. On its way it refreshes the land except the north-western fringes of the country which is mostly arid.

The down pour is heavy at the center of its path and lighter on the edges. Though an exaggeration, the people in the south-western tip of India (Kerala) where the monsoon begins its cross-country travel say each drop is one bucketful. It is so heavy and loaded with water. It lashes the ground so harsh sometimes uprooting small plants. It cleans the ground as it washes the trash, twigs, and dry leaves down the hill.

I love the monsoon rain. It brings relief from the summer heat. The earth turns cool. Even the ground smells fresh.

However, it rains differently in every place. The sound it makes in the city is different from the country. The sound of rain on concrete and tin sheets in the city and the sound of rain on the trees and the grass in the countryside are vastly different. The wind on the trees in the countryside and on the windowpanes in the urban skyscrapers are different. The urbanites hear the thunder but do not see the lightning since their vision of the horizon through the windows is limited.

It rains differently in each place. It is the same rain but where it falls makes the difference. Grace is something like that. It is the same grace, but who receive it what they do with it makes the difference. Apostle Paul was keen that all the grace that God lavished on him is utilized well. So, he proclaims: “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results” (1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT).

The rocky ground may reject rain drops falling on it as they splash, and scatter. But the good ground absorbs it, holds it for the dry season. It flourishes new life. As the difference the rain makes depends on how it is received, so is the favor of God.