A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Spring is the most beautiful season in Georgia. It is, also, ironically, the most treacherous.
The frequent clashes of warm air with colder fronts creates the potential for severe weather. Violent thunderstorms with damaging hail and lightening often wreak havoc. As do the dreaded tornadoes they spawn.
Several nights ago, Danny and I find ourselves in the cross-hairs of a potential tornado. Sirens blare the warning as we hasten to our downstairs laundry room, the closest thing we have to a basement.
Lightening flashes. Thunder roars. Winds howl.
We hunker down. Prepared to ride it out.
Praying to be spared the brunt of the storm.
And, thankfully, we are.
Only twenty miles away, however, a local airport is hit and hit hard. Eighty percent of the aircraft there is completely destroyed. We read this morning that the airport is closed indefinitely.
Only twenty miles away . . .
Too close for comfort.
But, a miss is as good as a mile.
~
When the storms of life swamp our boats, Pastor Wallace reminds us that Jesus may not always calm those storms. Instead, He takes our hands. Hunkers down by our side. Promises to ride it out with us.
To see us through the rough seas. The raging winds. The driving rain.
Filling us with His peace. His presence.
Until we reach safe harbor. Until the squall has passed.
Holding fast to us.
And, never letting go.
~
When the storms of life hit, do you turn to the Lord for help?
I invite you to pray with me:
We thank you, Lord, for being with us not just when skies are blue, but when they are cloudy and dark and threatening. When the storms of life hit us hard, may we always remember that You are right there with us to see us through. Help us to rest in the comfort of Your presence and Your promise. Amen.
Readings
Psalms 95, 69:1-23 (24-30) 31-38 or 73
Genesis 43:1-15
1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Mark 4:35-41
Boy that was close. I've been in a tornado but just watching one on television is scary enough. I have had other kind of tornado experiences though and I'm glad that I had 'someone' holding my hand through it all.
ReplyDeleteWow, Corinne, that is so scary to actually go through a tornado! So glad you knew He was holding your hand all the while. :)
DeleteThank you so much for coming by today!
Blessings always!
I can't imagine how scary it must be to even be close to a tornado! When the storms of life come I've been learning more and more not to call out to God but to seek Him within, where He proves to be a sure and steady anchor.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Jessica.
DeleteI love your image here of God being our anchor or, rather, we being anchored to Him from within. So true! He is ever present for us.
Blessings to you!
That must have been scary... I have experienced earthquakes.. and the last one was the big one that hit california.. until about 4 days ago when I felt a 4.9 here in Gurgaon, India.
ReplyDeleteIt is always frightening when we get those tornado warnings - and it happens way too often for my liking.
DeleteI've never experienced an earthquake per se, just a minor tremor. That was alarming enough!
Glad you got through that quake alright, Savira!
Thanks for stopping by. :)
Blessings!
Thank god you both are safe, Martha. Just two weeks back I missed a grenade blast by a few seconds. I was meant to live and that is why I was saved by God.
ReplyDeleteOh, my Lord, Rimly, a grenade blast??? Where were you, my friend? Now, that's what I call truly scary!
DeleteAnd, yes, when we are spared, God has another purpose, or many purposes, for us in mind before He calls us home. You are right on with that one!
Thanks so much for coming by today. :)
Blessings!
I confess, Martha, not always. I am one of those types of people who hunker down in my own thought, sorting through the the situation as if my life were in files. I do a lot of walking and once and a great while I am actually aware during those walk.. Maybe the solitude is me connecting beyond myself, I don't know. I work through life's ups and downs, disappointments, whatever they may be and maybe I am being guided but not aware of it. It's something for me to think about.
ReplyDeleteHi, Brenda!
DeleteI'm glad this post has inspired you to think more about who is hunkering down with you. In solitude is where I feel more connected to God. My take is that He is working with you and through you in a way that meets your needs, your personality, and your style.
Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
Blessings!
Martha, I do believe we had this at the same time. What has upset me the most is when I went to grab my Bible, it was not there. It has been misplaced...somewhere in the house...but I am still unable to find it! I have been hijacking my husband's while he is at work. I told my children that they would have to find mine, since they were the last to be using it. I have no idea where they could have laid it :(
ReplyDeleteMary, I meant to say in my comment to you that my Bible is one of the first things I grab when confronted by this type of situation. It hurts my heart that yours has been misplaced and I do hope it will turn up soon. Maybe, you could challenge the children to a scavenger hunt of sorts with some reward for who finds the Bible? Just a thought . . .
DeleteBlessings ever, my friend!
I like the allusions given to nature when we speak of God and it isn't His wrath that creates tornadoes nor storms :)I remember when I was small, I couldn't sleep when it rained very hard, I always thought of what happened in the story of Noah and the ark. Then, I also remember the apostles waking Jesus up when they thought that the boat was sinking.
ReplyDeleteI love your reflections here. You always stress the God's Truth ~ no storms could ever separate Him from us.
I pray with you and sleep calmly in the Lord's hands. I know He is always there.
Such a lovely comment here, Melissa, as always!
DeleteSadly, some folks over here don't understand that God is with us no matter what the storm or the circumstance. After the violent tornadoes hit many parts of this country, one televangelist actually stated that if the people in this path of destruction had prayed harder, this wouldn't have happened. How off base is this? No wonder so many non-Christians resist becoming one.
Yes, let us pray and give thanks that we are ever in God's loving embrace.
Blessings always!
Martha, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I thank God you and hubby were safe. There is no safer harbor than in the arms of the Lord.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Leah, we go through this more than we would like. Living in "Dixie Alley" has its drawbacks, for sure, but I'll risk it for the overall climate.
DeleteAnd, yes, there is no safer harbor than the Lord's embrace!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings to you!
Oh yes,Martha, He is my shelter in the storm.
ReplyDeleteExtreme weather is on the increase, same here in NC.
What perilous times!
Perilous times, indeed, Debra.
DeleteThe Alabama/Georgia area has become known as "Dixie Alley" when it comes to tornadoes. We have always had the danger since I can remember, but it is on the rise.
But, we know the Lord is our shelter through every storm, either calming it or riding it out with us.
Always great to see you here! :)
Blessings ever and always!
Hello Martha.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are all ok.
It's at times like these that we are more likely to blame God & turn away from Him, but our safety & security is assured in His Hands.
Thanks for sharing & for always leaving me encouraging comments. They keep me inspired to write more & more (smile). Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Oh, Andy, I wish you and your darling wife a wonderful weekend, too!
DeleteOur mutual friend, Mary, endured this same series of storms that pounded the southeast and mid-west. Our blogs are eerily similar. What does that say about sharing from the heart?
I'm so gratified that you feel inspired by my posts. I am so grateful that God has called me to do this at this time in my life.
May His blessings rise to meet you!
I am so glad the tornado skipped over you. They are devastating to be sure. Lived in Oklahoma for a short time, I know first hand the damage they can cause. Grateful you and yours are okay. Blessings to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Jan!
DeleteYes, we are very fortunate; still thanking God we dodged this bullet!
So appreciate your kind thoughts.
Blessings back! :)
I'm glad you and your husband are okay... to be so close is scary... sorry to hear about the airport :( ... take care!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Amy!
DeleteYes, it was a very scary evening and, unfortunately, we can expect more than one of these alerts during the spring time. Glad we're okay, too! :)
Blessings to you!