1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now faith, hope, and love abide,
these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
As a city child I had not fully experienced the power of a
northern storm until one summer visiting with my aunt on a secluded lake in
Ontario. We had watched the sun set when dark clouds rolled across the sky and
blackened out any view. It was as if someone had thrown black paint across the
window. My aunt hurriedly ran to turn off any lights that were on and darkness
immersed the room where I stood. Hesitantly I leaned towards the window
wondering why I couldn’t see.
Suddenly lighting split the sky in a giant flash briefly
capturing the outline of trees, like a photograph, then the darkness swallowed
up everything again. I stood frozen with fear. It had seemed to strike the lake
right in front of the window and as I heard the rumble of thunder I didn’t know
where to run and hide before it flashed again.
My aunt quietly put her arms around me and together we
watched. My shaking gradually subsided into wonder and astonishment. Although
too young to have the words then to capture that first storm the ‘photo’ shot
become a permanent memory complete with sound effects.
We spent all the next week cleaning up far-flung debris. The
storm had shut down electricity. Fallen trees blocked the narrow dirt road
leading to the cottage and my uncle couldn’t get through for a few days. I had
no real concept then of its wide devastation. My aunt had turned a terrifying
storm into a respect for its beauty and power.
We may have to face many storms alone without physical arms
to hold us, but we will always have the Lord’s love to protect and sustain us.
His invisible arms around us cannot be removed when we trust in Him and allow
faith and hope to remind us of His comforting power.
Lord, please give us hearts to cling to you with trust, and
do not let our fears bring confusion.
Psalm of Worship: Psalm 91:1-3
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress,
My God in whom I trust!’
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper,
And from the deadly pestilence.”
No comments:
Post a Comment