June 26, 2008, Storms Come, Storms Go

Storms Come, Storms Go

We've had some pretty amazing storms pass through here the past few days. Blinding heavy rain, fierce winds, lightning and thunder. Before they come through you can see the glorious thunderheads in the distance billowing up into enormous pillars of lighted clouds.
When I looked at one yesterday as I drove down the freeway the first thing that came to me was the size seemed enormous from my perspective.

Throughout our lives we have storms which pass day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. And when you count them they are many. But just like the wind and the rains that come with the worst storms of our lives when they pass they leave freshness and cool breezes. And think about it, the air smells clean and fresh from the washing.

I have learned something this year that I was never taught and since I wasn't taught this how could I have known. That my storms are my life's ongoing crises, which are absolutely necessary for life. They are there to make us stronger. What a thought!! I don't have to kick and scream anymore! And I do think and did often say; 'When you are weak you are made strong', I knew this, but somehow, the knowing didn't get down in my 'knower'!

2 Corinthians 12:10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Look at what Paul is saying. We are no different. We kick and scream and plead, 'please take away these storms, these hardships, these persecutions.' There is one word that jumps our at me here and it is BUT when He says to us 'His grace is sufficient', these times make us strong....so NOW I can boast about my pain and my weakness, in all of the above, because when we don't resist, kick and scream and just welcome them, welcome the storms, when the storms pass and the clean fresh air comes we can revel in the breathtaking moment until the next glorious thunderhead in the distance is producing another storm and this time we won't kick and scream, Lord please take it away, this time we will welcome it.

WOW, maybe if we see a mountain as a storm
we can understand how it can be moved!!
http://sp1.yt-thm-a01.yimg.com/image/25/m8/4243759069

Great Song!...
Video & Song
'Drifting' Bebo Norman
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tiM2JN4VazI