Storms

Last week we had storms. One right after the other. Beautiful dark rolling clouds. About every two hours the sun would burst in and it looked like heaven sought to break through the darkness. Often times we as Christians speak of the storms of life. We speak of how storms come and go in life, that God allows these troubles, and we proclaim how he gets us through them. The sun will come out tomorrow, right? How does he actually do that? Many people believe that the Bible tells us that God will not give us anything we cannot handle. That is a wrong assumption, there is no verse in scripture that gives us that promise. I believe that God does give us more than we can handle, so that we learn to more fully rely on the hope and promises that He does speak of in Scripture. As I watched this particular storm pass through and the next one roll in, I was amazed at how strongly the sun broke right through the darkest cloud, only to be obscured again within minutes as the next storm rolled in. How do we know we can survive when grief and disaster seem to obscure our vision of God? I believe that we must not always rely on our hearts, but to force our minds into action, as difficult as that can be. As I looked at this picture, I realized that even though the clouds came and brought intense rain, cold and wind, the sun never "disappeared". Behind all of those intense clouds, the sun was still there, it never moved from its righteous place in the heavens. As it is with God. In the middle of all that is happening around us, we must remember that God never moves from His place either. His promises are still true, and his vow to grow us into maturity as His beloved children never changes. In Genesis, even when the sun had not been created and the world was dark, we are told that His spirit hovered over the dark waters. That is true comfort. I can truly say now with honesty that I can't handle all situations by own effort. I CAN rely on the God I cannot always see or feel, I just need to remember his unchanging love and comfort, promised to each one of us. I have learned to appreciate the sun when it breaks through the clouds and the weather calms. I have also come to realize that even when the sun cannot be seen, it is still there, never changing.