The First Drop of Rain

by Leslie Parrott

Have you ever felt plucked out and suddenly dropped by the hand of God into the wasteland? Have you felt desolate, dry, and fragile? No sign of God, no sound of water?

Here is the personal and passionate, "Me too!" that fans of Leslie Parrott have been waiting for. For "Seattlite" Parrott, rain isn't a date-canceling, mood-altering nuisance. Rather, that first drop of rain and the following drizzle or downpour is a persistent, positive, mystical fact of life that both confirms the presence of God and underscores his (seeming) absences.

Through original poetry, vividly-drawn vignettes, and honest reflection, Parrott mixes images of rain and "wasteland" to explore the daily juxtaposition of deluge and desert we all encounter. A conversation about grief and death takes place in lush gardens teeming with life. A prayer, delivered and answered at a dying friend's bedside, leads to bittersweet understanding. And personal confidences ("My flaws and fears are so real, they demand my full attention.") strike a chord in all of us who struggle earnestly, if sometimes defiantly, to see God's purpose in everything.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Poetry, Biography Memoir, Faith, Grief, Death

Audible Audio

First published March 6, 2009

About the author

#1 New York Times best-selling authors, Les and Leslie. A husband-and-wife team who not only share the same name, but the same passion for helping others build healthy relationships. In 1991, the Parrotts founded the Center for Relationship Development on the campus of Seattle Pacific University - a groundbreaking program dedicated to teaching the basics of good relationships.

Married in 1984, the Parrotts bring real-life examples to their speaking platform. Their professional training - Leslie as a marriage and family therapist, and Les as a clinical psychologist - ensures a presentation that is grounded, insightful and cutting-edge.

The Parrotts are New York Times #1 Best Selling Authors. Their books include the award-winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, Love Talk, Real Relationships, The Parent You Want to Be, The Hour That Matters Most and Crazy Good Sex.

Each year Les and Leslie speak in over 40 cities. Their audiences include a wide array of venues, from churches to Fortune 500 company board rooms. Their books have sold over two million copies in more than two dozen languages.

The Parrotts have been guests on many national TV and radio programs such as CNN, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, The View with Barbara Walters, NBC Nightly News, and Oprah. Their work has been featured in USA Today and The New York Times.

Visit their website for lots of free resources at www.LesandLeslie.com

Reviews

[Amber Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought.. It is a religious book.. It is based as a book club or Bible study read.. U take what u want from it

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it really depends on what you're hoping to get out of this book what you'll think of it. It's kind of geared more toward being a Christian lesson manual than a casual read. The content is based heavily on The Wasteland by T.S. Elliot as well as the author's life experiences. The application of these things in teaching Christian principles is pretty well done, but it might be a bit mundane for someone looking for an engaging story.

The overriding lesson in the book is that we all have trials, some of them are pretty major, and God is always mindful of us and willing to help if we let Him. If we can learn to recognize His hand in our everyday lives, then it all makes more sense and we can grow from the things that seem to hold us down.

This book intends to promote introspection and self-evaluation from the reader to help him/her refine the ways we involve God in our lives, and I think it can be a great tool for that if used properly. I really enjoyed reading it, and I'm sure any Christian who wants to understand why God uses hardship to build up His children will find it beneficial as well.

[Katie Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light-read, and yet a very personal memoir at the same time. In brief, vignette-style chapters, Leslie Parrott explores a seemingly endless selection of metaphors of rain/water/weather. The only other Parrott book I had read was "Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts" - which I read in my pre-marriage counseling! This certainly wasn't as deep or as instructional as that, but it was a nice little collection of devotional-type pieces.

[Jery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and comforting at the same time - being a Pacfic Northwest girl myself, I too have much the same perspective on rain as the author. But had not considered it in quite the same way. This was a lovely read.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the premise of the book might be good for me and things that I'm going through in my life right now. I tried to like this book and become engaged with it, but ended up not finishing it.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was not what I expected it to be and it really warmed my heart and helped me understand God a bit better.

[Kariabridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeper thinking, good read on a rainy day.

[Virginia Hatley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only got this book because it was free. Not into "Christian" literature.