A rich merchant was returning home from a business trip. Traveling on horseback, he carried with him a large sum of money in his pouch. The journey was long, and the road rather out of the way. The man eagerly looked forward to being finished with his business and home again with his family.

But scarcely had he set out upon his journey that the rain, which had been threatening for some time, began to fall in great torrents. Before long, the traveler was thoroughly soaked - and he had barely begun! Rather annoyed at this, the rider began thinking to himself that it would have been much wiser of God to have held back the rain – at least until he was safely home. Oh well, grumbling would not make the rain stop.

Continuing through the downpour, the merchant soon came to a part of the road which was fenced in on both sides by thick woods. It was very often that robberies had been committed in this place. The gloom of the night, which was deepening every moment, and the dullness of the weather, made the man anxious to reach the other end of the wood. He began to ride more quickly. But he had not gone far when the horse suddenly stood still, and jolted its rider. The merchant scarcely had time to regain his position on his saddle, when he saw standing in the middle of the road a man disguised from head to foot, holding a pistol in his hand.

"Your money or your life!" threatened the brigand.

The murderous words fell upon the rider’s ear and made him shudder. Instantly, he kicked the spurs to his horse, and attempted to gallop past the dark figure. But the robber, foreseeing this, raised his pistol and fired. The flash momentarily broke the darkness, and the man, thinking his last hour had come, recommended his soul to God.

It was all done in an instant. But the merchant continued his gallop. He was not dead? He was not even hurt! Suddenly he realized what had happened. The heavy rain had wet the ruffian’s gun powder, preventing it from taking any effect.

The rider galloped onwards, and was soon beyond all danger. He did not once look behind him till he reached his home. His wife and children saw him very pale and trembling as he came in. Thinking that some terrible misfortune had occurred, they eagerly asked him to tell them what happened.

"I am quite safe," he replied, "and without any injury. But had it not been for the deluge of rain, which I had thought so great a misfortune when I set out on my journey, I never would have reached home alive." He then related to them everything that had happened in the woods, and his narrow escape from death.

Relief came over everyone, and his little ones, in their joy at their own father’s survival, threw their arms around him.

The good father ended with these words: "How foolish it was of me to complain of the weather that God sent, and how good it was of Him to send down such a heavy rainfall, which most certainly saved my life. Let this be a lesson for you, my dearest children," he continued, especially addressing his little ones, "Whenever you say that petition of the Our Father, ‘Thy will be done,’ think of this. If there had been no rain today, the powder would not have been wet, and you would not now have a father speaking to you, nor one to cling to as you are now doing."