When Dark Clouds of Trouble Hang O'er Us

We’ve endured some fairly impressive storms the past couple of weeks. Before one arrived, I received an alert on my cell phone, compliments of a so-called “app” on my Droid. It hinted that a doozy of a storm was due to arrive shortly. So we did all we could do to batten down the hatches. The garbage container was wheeled into the garage because of the high wind advisory. Windows were shut in the house, and in our vehicles, like the truck and the camper, which were outside. We also warned family members, neighbors, and friends that things were possibly going to get ugly. We figured we had done the best we could to prepare, and then the skies grew dark. Beyond dark. Scary dark in the middle of the afternoon. This led us to believe that perhaps we were in for the tornado that had been predicted, a rare event in our area. 

Not long after that, it began to rain, in what looked like sheets of water. The temperature dropped, and it began to hail. It wasn’t a light hail, like we normally see—it was a powerful hailstorm of epic proportions. Plants were shredded, as hailstones the size of a dime fell from the sky in a massive quantity. Crops were destroyed in this farming community. Animals panicked. Our poor little cat was traumatized. She loudly cried for comfort and reassurance that all would eventually be well.

 It fell to me to convince her to come out of her hiding place under the porch in our garage. This took some intense coaxing, but finally, she came out and practically flew into my arms for safety. It was all I could do to convince her that she would survive, and that despite what she believed, the world had not come to an end.

I suspect that is part of the challenge of our day. Many storms will come into our lives, some of epic proportions. There will be moments when we’ll fearfully wonder if we will survive, especially when the days are dark, and full of scary events. We may hide, certain of our impending doom, as the adversary does his best to convince us that all is lost. It will take a lot of faith to trust in our Savior, to come forward as He coaxes us out of our hiding places and into His safe arms as He helps us weather the storm. He knows our hearts and how best to help us heal from the destruction that may surface in our lives. He will walk beside us until we are strong enough to walk on our own, and He will lend us hope when we are certain there is none to be found. 

He will expect us to prepare as best we can to face the challenges that will come. That is something we’ve been warned about from those who are called to alert us to the dangers that may lie ahead. It is up to us to take the suggested precautions, and to do all we can to help others along the way. Together, we can weather the crazy days ahead, relying on the One who can bring light in the midst of any storm.