IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
“The heavens declare the glory of God…” I could almost swear that I saw the heavens open up this morning – the momentary glimpse of clouds parting much like I imagine the dividing of the Red Sea was quite amazing – a beautiful scene.
It is February 1st, 2011, and supposedly the snow falling outside is the result of a record winter storm system moving across the Midwest. With the entire town of Springfield pretty much closed down, and everyone camped in with plenty of food, batteries and gas for their generators, you’d think we all live in Alaska somewhere, rather than southwest Missouri, but the snow is coming down heavy and the wind is blowing it everywhere.
It’s not a frequent thing for me to be granted an entire day off, and neither is commonplace for a foot or more of snow to fall in the Ozarks, so when this first day of February brought in both variables together, I geared up in all my Colorado ski gear and headed out for a walk on the golf course with my boyfriend Rick. What a beautiful and pristine sight, even in the midst of frigid temperatures, complete cloud cover and blowing snow. Not even the geese were out this cold snowy day, and so even in the midst of a hollowing of wind, everything seemed silent and in hibernation. Our tracks were fresh and being covered up behind us as snow continued to fall, and windgusts blew the freshest layer across the blanketed fairways in small, swift little tumbleweed like whirlwinds that carried scattered leaves with them. I love days like this, and I appreciate God’s creation in all forms – rain, wind, snow and ice included – it is all beautiful and speaks of His limitless creativity, complexity and character. I love God, and the days of opportunity to praise Him are ALL OF THEM!
So in the midst of a giant snow storm, on top of a small unprotected knoll where visibility was low and the wind swept ice crystals across my goggles, I found myself content to just reflect on God’s goodness, enjoy the frigidness of the day and praise God for the very things that all come together in describing a very “bad day to be outdoors enjoying the weather.
My walk continued across nine snow covered holes of the golf course and then, as I was just approaching the end of my loop, wind still hollowing as loud as a freight train, the most amazing thing happened. I stopped briefly to take one more look across the beautiful white and foggy snow driven scene before heading back to the house, when I noticed a small crack in the sky where a clouded bright spot struggled to be vaguely recognized. “Look”, I said to Rick, “the sun is trying to come out”. We both looked up and to our amazement it was if the heavens opened up before our very eyes and for a brief few minutes the wind stopped hollowing, the clouds moved rapidly across, over, and out of the way of the sun, and the snow ceased to fall. I looked and saw a line of blue skies scattered between clouds and the sun hitting the extremely fresh snow glittered, while shadows were cast as light hit the trees. Suddenly – very suddenly, the winter storm that had Rick and I walking with goggles on, faces covered, and backs to the strong wind, was momentarily at rest to the point where I unzipped the top part of my jacket, lifted up my goggles off my face and just soaked in the ironic and totally unexpected warmth for a moment. If we had been with the disciples in the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee in the midst of the raging storm that Jesus stood up, spoke and the winds suddenly stopped, I think it might have been a similar scene – it was truly amazing.
God spoke a lesson to me in the midst of that privileged moment of witnessing His handiwork, a lesson that I think we all struggle with at times – myself included for sure! The lesson is this. Life isn’t always sunshine, 70 degrees and full of flowery springtime weather, and just because it isn’t always that way doesn’t mean that God loves us less, cares for us less, or is somehow not present because we go through “storms” in life. If I can appreciate God’s beauty in the midst of a snow storm, in spite of a rainy day or in the dead of winter when things don’t look all that pretty…if I can do that when it comes to nature, why can’t I do that in life??
I believe everything in nature is somehow a picture of who God is, how He works, or what His plan is. Do we ever go to bed at night wondering if the sun will come up when we awake? Do we worry, even when winter lingers on longer than expected if Spring will come our be skipped this year?? When we look at naked trees in the winter, do we fear that maybe they’ll be that way forever, never to receive the growth of new leaves again? Of course not, we don’t fret over any of those things, for we know and can depend on their cycle. I think that just like God opened the skies suddenly in the midst of today storm, he can, and does reverse the things that seem so irreversible to us at times. We go through hard times, and seem to think there is never and end in sight. Clouds loom over our work, our relationship, our finances or our future and we assume they are permanently and forever blocking our view to the sun. We question God’s presence because of storms, rather than realizing that just above those clouds lies his presence and beauty, much like blue skies and sun presided a layer above the storm system covering our entire area today.
Faith. Faith is knowing that God’s presence does preside, and reign. Faith is recognizing and appreciating God through the various “weather patterns” of life. Faith is not questioning if God is there, but communicating with Him during good times and bad. Faith is knowing that just like the sun always rises, springtime always comes and dead looking tress spring forth new leaves each season, God is always at work, and always has a plan, and is never to be doubted.
