2009: AUGUST 9 TO AUGUST 23 - TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS

.
It is even in the storm that the strength, majesty and power of God are revealed:
.

1. The hours of pressure before the storm arrives...
2. The dark clouds and rumbles in the distance...
3. The moment of stillness...
4. Then, much like Psalms 77:17-18 describes, "The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, Your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked..."

.

Some of you have shared on Facebook about some of the amazing displays of God that you have seen in the storms, the last few weeks. I've heard of majestic lightning shows in Kansas and Nebraska. One person shared about a storm causing so much electricity in the air that the hair on people's arms stood on end in Texas. A status or two said, " enjoying more global moisturization" and "I LOVE THIS WEATHER!"

.

Our daughter has excruciating headaches from multiple triggers including barometric pressure. She can tell you about 3 hours before a storm will hit with great accuracy. I have never paid as much attention to storms as I have lately to the multitude of them that have come our way in South Jersey. Today there have been two - one this morning and one as I am typing this. As the pressure changes and the darkness envelopes outside our home, the pressure builds inside Jessica's body to where she is almost paralyzed. There is no place that she can be touched on her body without it hurting. Now, as I watch the rain subside and the sinking sun peak out behind the trees, I know that her pain will decrease soon. There is light... hope... at the end of each storm for relief. Still, it is a horrible condition! God have mercy! We know that You are good - no matter the difficult circumstances!

.

As Job said in his darkest times, in Job 13:15-16...

Though He slay me,

yet will I hope in Him;

I will surely defend my ways to His face.

Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,

for no godless man would dare come before Him!"

.

I remember another storm. It was 1986. We were moving from Indiana to western Nebraska. Steve was driving the U-Haul truck. Behind him were two cars holding our 4 children, my sister, her husband, and me. It was night and we were on Interstate 70, in Illinois, east of St. Louis. Traffic was heavy and the storm was torrential! Our vision was limited. Driving was tedious to say the least. Then, it happened! The U-Haul truck stalled. We had to slam on our brakes. I screamed, "LORD save us! LORD help us!" It seemed that there would be no way any of us would get out alive. Hope seemed fleeting as we heard horns and the whiz of the cars passing by...

.

Then, in almost slow motion, not understood by any of us at the time, it seemed that there was no traffic, no one coming behind us. It was as if we were in the eye of the storm. It was as if God took His hand and held back the traffic.

.

It was later that we were to learn that a trucker had seen our horrific situation and radioed back for miles for truckers to build a wall of protection in front of us, beside us, and behind us. They did! They moved traffic over to the left of what I believe was a six lane spread of highway headed west. We were able to get our cars over to the right and breathe easier until more help arrived.

.

Oh, I know... not everyone has such a "perfect" ending to a story like this. In this case, I am 100% sure that God chose to answer our prayers with "YES!"

.

Just as I was typing the word "YES!", Jessica's door opened, and she headed down the hall... she is moving again... hope... LORD, save us! LORD, help us! GIGATTAATTGIG!

.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND

WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE COME?

.