Storms!

On Saturday, April 17th, we experienced a storm like none other. It was a hot day, but it started to cloud over around 4pm. Rain fell throughout the evening, but after supper, things started to get really exciting. The sky was bright with lightening and the thunder was so loud it almost shook the house! Then the wind began to howl and the rain started to come down even harder. Our little house has a tin roof and we could hardly hear each other even if we shouted. Then came the hail! I honestly thought our house was going to come down it was so loud and overwhelming. I looked up and noticed that water was coming in under, around and through our door. As I looked around the main room, I saw that water was running down all our exterior walls and it was coming in all our windows as well. Added to that, the 2 leaks in our roof became 10 and we had all the pots and pans out trying to catch as much water as possible.

The craziness lasted for about 15 minutes. When the rain subsided back to a normal rainfall, we looked out the front door to see the damage. We saw a river flowing down our street, barely contained between the curbs. The upper roof of the guest house was blown off and crushed and the soccer field were we play was destroyed by a lightening strike! We were in awe at the strength and intensity of the storm.

There are storms we experience in our spiritual life as well. They usually give us little warning and strike with such intensity we get knocked down if we are not careful. Over the past year, I can honestly say, it has been stormy! I have not always weathered the storm well, unfortunately. Like our little house in Tactic, I succumbed to the pressure from outside. The Lord has been teaching me, although, not to fight against the storms in my life and not to ask Him to remove them. But rather, I am to ask Him to help me get through them and to develop in me "perseverence, character and hope" Romans 5:3-5. This is the kind of growth I want in my life. If it means I have to endure a few storms so that I can be transformed more and more into my Maker's image, then so be it. My goal is the peace and joy that is not found in my circumstances, but rather in Him alone.

Blessings,

Karren