STORMS

The state of Texas just endured one of the greatest winter storms in my lifetime. I’ve experienced hurricanes, flooding, and now I can add to my list an ice storm. We were without power and heat for a little over 36 hours which definitely came with its challenges, but after hearing stories of deaths; amid other things I consider us blessed to have come through this in the manner in which we did. Make no mistake, our overall experience wasn't a pleasant one and it most definitely appears it could have been avoidable. I feel I speak for myself as well as others, when I say that we were clueless that the state of Texas was so ill-prepared for this ice storm in reference to our energy grids, leaving millions of Texans shamefully in the dark for days. My prayers and concern certainly went out to the families that lost love ones, experienced longer bouts of being without power and heat, loss of wages, broken pipes, caved in ceilings, loss of water, and any other unpleasant circumstance they may have found themselves in, due to this winter storm that came in with a fury. I will continue to keep those affected by this storm in my prayers.

I chose to blog about this topic seeing that we are experiencing all sorts of storms in the world right now. From inclement weather, pestilence, financial crisis, racial divides, and political mayhem, you name it. We got it. We are living through days, weeks, and months of unrest and great uncertainty. When will it end? Which made me think about travelling, particularly pre-navigation days. Did it ever feel like it always took longer to get to your destination than it did to return? The GPS system is a game changer. GPS will calculate your estimated time of arrival, allow you to choose your route, and keep you informed of any detours or delays. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a device that we could pull out and use like this in reference to our lives? Hey Cheryl, Go to Cancun the week of February 15th to avoid the winter storm. (There’s a joke in there for those that know). Unfortunately, real life just doesn’t prepare us that way. Life can be like this winter storm we just encountered. We went from 60 to 70-degree weather down to 10 to 12-degrees in a matter of days. This large shift left us in the dark and cold.

There are times life comes in waves and shifts just like a storm. Some storms come in fast and leave fast, but can still leave much residual damage as we see in Winter Storm Uri. This pandemic is a longer lasting storm, which has left us all in a vulnerable state. It is reeking great havoc all over the world. Ultimately it has left us living with a new normal. The waiting and anticipation alone as to when will this virus dissipate; can have one filled with anxiety and fear of our future, near and far. When you add to the pandemic, other storms we are experiencing as a whole and individually, it can be come overwhelming very quickly. This is where we have to put our absolute trust in Christ. Without Christ we are incapable of enduring the storms of life that we are undoubtingly going to face. If life itself and the year of 2020 in particularly has taught me anything, is that everything I see and know is temporal. Life is fleeting, the bible says it’s like a vapor, here for a moment and then it vanishes away. It also says, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. We have to continually remind ourselves that what we see is temporary. It’s the things we don’t see that’s eternal. This is why we should first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness securing our eternal destination before putting so much time and energy into this temporal life we now live.

With that in mind, let us stay aware of the fact that God does not see time as we do. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. While, we have entered into a New Year, doesn’t necessarily mean a new season. From what we can see, we are still in the same season of unrest and uncertainty (or whatever you choose to call it) carried over into a New Year, or in other words, another year. God’s time is called “Kairos” in the New Testament meaning “the appointed time in the purpose of God” the time when God acts. What we know is that God, at his appointed time according to his purpose will move us into a new season when he sees fit. What we do not know is the when, what, and how. Therefore, we must allow God to lead us while we are in the dark valleys of life. All while knowing that he is the God of the mountains as well. He reminds us in his word, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? The song writer says it this way, “If he cares about the sparrow, I know he cares for me”! This is just one of the many scriptures we can turn to for encouragement in times like these. There are; and will be times we will face that can be downright scary and disruptive to your course of life. It is in those times; God sends sweet reminders that he, “Our Father” cares about the things we care about. He told us to cast our cares on him for he careth for us.

As we go into a new week, perhaps take some time over a cup of tea and lift someone up in prayer that is hurting or dealing with a difficult challenge. If that someone is you, I pray for you right now, that God’s rest and peace will shower you in this time of need and that your “FAITH” fail you not. I pray that God will strengthen your heart and mind through the power of Jesus Christ, he is a very present help in the time of trouble.

Never underestimate the power of prayer!

Until next time….Be good to yourselves