Reason #531

 

 

I have literally done nothing today. I woke up, ate a waffle, made a confusing trip to Wal-Mart and laid in bed watching Modern Family re-runs all afternoon. This has been quite an uneventful July 4th for us, however, we did enjoy dinner and fireworks with our friends at the park this evening. And so my mind is a little confused about the fact that I have to get up and go back to work tomorrow for one more day and then it will be the weekend. After all, everyone knows we stay up late popping fireworks on July 4th, so I think July 5th should also be a day off.

We had quite the storm early this morning. I have no clue what time it was, but my eyes popped open as thunder clapped loudly. Lightning was lighting up the whole house, and the thunder was loud enough to shake the walls. It was the kind of storm where you brace yourself after each lightning strike because you know the thunder is going to make your heart skip a beat. Scout's a brave girl and has never been afraid of storms. I'm really thankful for that because I know some pets are deathly afraid of storms. In fact, a friend of mine told me she had to buy her dog a thunder shirt that supposedly helps the dog stay calm during storms. But last night's storm was a little different than the norm. And as I woke up feeling groggy and confused, I looked over to find Scout nervously sitting against Aaron's chest. He was laying on his side, stroking her little head and saying, "shhhh, it's going to be okay." And I realized that this was the first time she's ever been scared of a storm. I stretched my arm out and she curled up as tight as she could against me. I wrapped my arm around her, and after a few more surprising thunder claps that made up jump we fell back asleep.

As I was listening to the radio this morning, I heard a song that I hadn't heard before, and the last bit of the chorus said, "sometimes he calms the storm, and other times He calms His child." And I thought about Scout and Aaron last night. You learn from the people you surround yourself with, and since I live with these two, I learn a lot from them. I thought about how Scout was sitting so closely to Aaron seeking comfort and protection. She was scared of a storm for the first time, and she didn't know what else to do. And Aaron could have easily turned over and ignored her, but he let her lay next to him and tried to calm her down. Of course, there wasn't anything Aaron could do to stop the storm, but he made sure Scout knew she was safe and that she was going to be okay. And I think the Lord does the same for us so often. Because although God can spin a storm in motion or stop it in His tracks, He often times allows it to play out. He doesn't always stop the rain and the winds when we'd like. And whether or not you've faced a storm before, there will come a time that you will. It may be early on in life, or it may be towards the end. And maybe you're like Scout and storms don't scare you. But there will probably be a storm that comes along and strikes fear in you. So even though it'd be really nice for God to just keep that storm away or make it stop, maybe the problem isn't really the storm but where we are seeking shelter. Because God has promised to be our refuge from the storm. We can hide in the shelter of His wings and find safety in His presence. And to be honest, nothing is more comforting than to have Him holding you close during the storm.

So the next time the thunder rolls and makes your heart speed up, the winds shake your world, and the lighting strikes fear in your heart, seek Him out. He won't turn you away. Go to Him for refuge and comfort, and if He doesn't calm the storm ask Him to calm you. Trust that He will see you through whatever storm you face and that you will be okay. God desires to protect us and keep us safe just as much as Aaron and I desire to do that for Scout. He cares when we're scared, and He understands it, too. And I'm thankful that He never leaves us panicked in the middle of chaos, but that our God is big enough to keep us calm even when it seems we shouldn't be because His perfect love truly does drive out all fear.

#531 - Because He makes sure we'll be okay even if it doesn't seem so in the moment.

"But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat." - Isaiah 25:4