Dancing in the Rain

Dancing in the Rain

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Someone posted the following on Facebook, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” 

In the midst of the deepest storms of our lives, often the most comfort and peace arise from the joy that emerges in remembering the good times, the times of building relationships, of filling our arms and our hearts with new life, of recognizing the artistry of our Creator in the sunrise, the gathering clouds, and the changing of the seasons.  The rain of sorrow is lessened in the moments of sunshine that peep through.  In those moments, even though our hearts are breaking, our spirits dance in the rhythm with the joy of our Lord.

He is Lord in the valleys as well as on the mountain tops.  He dances with us in the slow, intimate waltz that comforts and heals.  It is in the “slow dance” that we fall in love.  It is in the “fast dance” that we celebrate that love. 

We are the Bride of Christ.  In our dance with him, the Bridegroom leads and we, the Bride, must learn to follow His every movement.   As we dance, our intimacy grows and our broken hearts find His healing and His joy.  In His joy, we find our strength to continue. (Nehemiah 8:10)

The Bible speaks much about dancing in celebration of our Lord:  Psalm 149:2-3 (NKJV)

“²  Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. ³  Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.”

Psalm 150:4 (NKJV):  “⁴  Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!”

Because of the vicissitudes of life, we experience all the times Solomon beautifully described in Ecclesiastes 3.  When we allow Him to, God brings us through those seasons of life.  While we experience seasons of weeping, we are to experience also seasons of laughter.  When we follow our Lord in the dance, a time of mourning will lead into times of dancing, both the dance of intimacy and the dance of celebration.

From my play Dancing in the Cosmos:

“CHORUS ONE: Truth Seeker took the hand of Eternal Hope and moved with Him to the music of the worshipers.  The sensation in her heart found fulfillment in the dance of her Beloved. She moved with Him across the valleys and above the mountain tops. 

CHORUS TWO:  The music became the music of the galaxies.  The stars sang with them as they danced within the Milky Way, out beyond the evening star, beyond the Pleiades and the might hunter, Orion.

TRUTH SEEKER:    Eternal Hope, are there pathways and journeys beyond this one? Will there be other rivers to cross? Others to whom I will be vessel of Your love?  Will there be other dances?

ETERNAL HOPE:  Yes, My seeker of truth, there will be other journeys and other rivers.  Each one you overcome will bring you higher and deeper into Me.  Your destiny, and the destiny of all others, is to climb higher and higher, to cross over and over, to find greater and greater Joy, to come to know Me even as I know you.

TRUTH SEEKER:    How many journeys?  How many conquests?  For how long?

ETERNAL HOPE:  As many as will fit into eternity.  Are you willing still to journey with Me?”

We receive comfort and healing in the knowledge that as the storm continues, so does the dance. In spite of our tears, we can choose to dance in the rain.

Celebrating Mike

Celebrating Mike

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Psalm 90 
¹  LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
²  Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

⁴  For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.
¹⁰  The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
¹²  So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
¹⁴  Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
¹⁶  Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.
¹⁷  And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Mike died Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 at Community Hospital in Torrington. A memorial scattering of his and his brother’s ashes will take place at a later date. His brother Bob passed away on January 22.  

Mike was born May 30, 1938 in Casper in the back bedroom of his grandparents’ home, the son of James Harvey Sr. and Hollis (Swallow) Crowe. He grew up in Wheatland and Buffalo and graduated Buffalo High School in 1956. He attended and played basketball for Casper College for two years before entering the U.S. Army for two years. After his discharge he returned to Wheatland. He married Lonnie Corn in 1962 in Wheatland. They moved to Casper to live for a time before living in Washington State for a year. They moved to Goshen County where they lived in several places before settling in Torrington. He worked as a realtor for many years.

People in Wheatland often remarked about how the Corns, Crowes and Swallows were all related.

Mike enjoyed fishing, bowling, golf, and playing pool with the good ole’ boys.  They played golf on a snooker table for about 20 years.

Mike is survived by his wife, Lonnie of Torrington; two sons, Doug Crowe of Wray, Colo. and Don Crowe and his wife, Kathy of Torrington; a brother, James Harvey Crowe Jr of Buffalo; an aunt, Winnie Allan of Casper; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Bob Crowe.

Although Mike did not attend church, he loved the Lord and loved to minister.  He supported Lonnie in every phase of her ministries.  He was her executive assistant when she served on the area team for Aglow International.  He answered the phone when she was working.  He prayed for people, counseled and encouraged.  He watched the road reports and kept the team safely on the roads during the winter months.  He was an attentive host when Aglow people stayed in their home.  He adopted Angie, Elaine and Joann as his special daughters.

He was proud of Lonnie’s ordination.  He often referred to her as “Pastor Prime.”

A couple of weeks before his first surgery, he insisted that Lonnie travel to Dallas for a leadership meeting for Generals International.

He was one of the maintenance men for Rhema Fellowship Church.

After Lonnie and Mike returned by ambulance last week from North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, his concern was putting things in order.  He wanted a fly rod to go to Jeremy and blue rock to Troy.  He asked about his great grandson David.  Then he told Lonnie, "we need to get someone to take care of the church."

Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.