I love a rainy night. Storms invite a slower pace, comfort food, PJ’s and a Netflix binge. Time out is called. Yard work, outdoor activities and errands are set aside.
While a pop-up rainstorm can provide a welcomed interruption, I rarely greet the storms of life with the same enthusiasm.
Big storms like financial shortfalls, relationship loss, parenting struggles and health scares. Little storms like car trouble, fritzy technology, or a stomach bug epidemic.
These storms usher in uncertainty, chaos, and change. They overwhelm the heart, batter the spirit and leave me begging for a rainbow.
It’s been said that we are all either entering a storm, in the middle, or just coming out.
Me?
I’m in the middle. Perhaps, you are too.
Take heart and have hope. Every storm that comes also comes to an end.
I remember being a child at my grandparent’s house during a particularly nasty storm. Triple wide sliding glass doors provided a front row seat to the event. Driving rain pelted the roof and windows. Thunder boomed. Lightning strikes lit up the dark. Treetops swayed as tenacious winds blew. Twigs, leaves and debris swirled, littering the yard.
And I was completely safe inside my grandparent’s well built home.
This house was built when craftsmanship and quality were still a thing. Single story, concrete block surrounded by red brick. Strong and sturdy doors front and back. Even the interior doors were solid wood. This home was our refuge and provided safety from the storm as we waited for it to pass.
Had I left the refuge and stepped out in to the driving rains and winds, my safety would’ve been compromised, feelings of peace and tranquility replaced by fear and anxiety.
Storms offer a choice; take refuge or stand outside in the rain.
Perhaps a battering storm of life reveals a choice to reject refuge and stand in the tempest. Mistakenly believing my voice is the one the wind and waves obey. Instead of taking on the storm, seek shelter in the safety of the Father. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) We can take refuge in the shadows of His wing until destruction passes by. (Psalm 57:1) Be still and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10) Resist the urge to orchestrate outcomes. Wait on the One who works all things together for your good. (Romans 8:28)
On a dark and stormy night, my grandparents home provided safety and refuge. As safe as I was in their solid, well built home, it’s no comparison to the sanctuary available in the arms of the Father when the storms of life rage.
