Please forgive the delay posting this morning’s post. I awoke today, with a passion to write something more timely.

I keep watching as hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas, watching in awe of the size of the storm, and in deep concern for all that is within its path. I am thankful for the downgrade in intensity, but profoundly aware of the damage it will cause. I continue to pray for safety for people who will feel its destructive force: those who stayed in their homes, first responders, members of the military, and others. I pray for people who are displaced, seeking shelter and protection, unsure of what they will experience now, and what they will return to once the storm passes. I pray for communities that will be affected for years to come, long after the national meteorologists and news media move on to other stories and most of us forget about the long road of recovery. I pray for my own family and friends who need safety and direction. I look upon this vast storm and I pray.

This is not the only storm in my prayers this morning. I am also praying for families that are walking through the storm of grief, storms of physical struggles, along with storms in thought and spirit. These are not just generic prayers for nameless people who are struggling, they are prayers for people I love, for whom my heart breaks, and, beyond my prayers, I feel helpless. Storms remind us of our vulnerability and our weakness, yet I offer what strength I can as I hold each person and situation before God.

I know that many in our current culture remain unimpressed with the offering of thoughts and prayers. I realize that they see this as nothing more than words, and sometimes they are right. When we are honest, we know that the offer to pray for others can be the ultimate Christian brush-off, that keeps us from being truly invested in the needs of others. However, that does not mean that all prayer lacks power and significance. Yes, for some, an offering to pray may be an act of avoidance, but for many of us, our prayers are a sign of our deep, and passionate, investment in the lives of those who matter to us, and to God. Praying may be some of the greatest work we do, for while we cannot change every storm people experience, God can.

I’ve been privileged to share in prayer with people who profoundly care about the needs of others. I listen to the deep cries of their hearts, and see the tears that flow from their eyes as they carry those they love to Jesus. They know their weakness, but they trust in God’s strength. There is nothing passive about their prayers, instead, they are putting all of their trust in the Jesus who speaks to storms and they obey him. Like the story in the Bible of the people who tore the roof off of a house to get their friend in front of Jesus, they are committed to carrying the ones they love into his presence, with the unwavering belief that he can make a difference.

Part of what makes today’s thoughts timely to me extends beyond the pending impact of a hurricane. It is also timely because my wife and I are about to go for her two-year, post-cancer check up. At this time in 2016, we were in the midst of a powerful storm. We were weak, and fighting our fears as we faced the struggle ahead. We had faith, but thank God we were not alone. There were people in many places who were fighting with us in the storm.

You may ask, “did those prayers make any difference?” Absolutely! We felt them in countless ways. God gave us peace in the storm, offered miraculous provision and direction, and brought us safely though. I am not denying the gifts of the medical community and others, but there were just too many moments where we saw God move in our circumstances where there was no other explanation than the power of prayer. God responded to the prayers of God’s people, and this was not the only time. God is faithful, and our prayers make a difference.

So, I am going to continue to pray for those facing storms today. I am going to keep believing in God’s ability to be peace in the storm, and speak peace to the storm. I am going to keep tearing the roof off buildings and pressing through whatever walls I need to in order to bring those I love, and the whole world before God. I will be relentless in my petitions, because I know the heart of God, I know the power of the Holy Spirit, and I know that God moves in the mightiest of storms. I will be God’s answer to prayer where I can, and where I am helpless, I will put my full hope in the One who is not. I will continue to trust the Jesus of great compassion, who looks at the immensity of the storm and says, “Peace! Be still!” I pray you will join me.

The post Peace in the Storm appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

This morning, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping as they enjoyed breakfast in our yard. The air was fresh, the foliage lush, and the flowers much more vibrant. Although it is overcast, the day is quite beautiful.

Looking over the beauty around me, I was drawn to Psalmist’s words, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) Of course, it is easy to rejoice when things are calm and beautiful, but I began pondering if I would have claimed those same words as nature turned violent last night.

If you read some of my older posts, you will see that I am a big fan of thunderstorms, so the easy answer is, yes, I would rejoice because I love a good display of lightning and thunder. As I thought about the broader definition of storms however, I realized that is where a great difficulty lies.

When life is full of obvious blessings and things seem to be going our way, it is easy to rejoice and praise God for our circumstances. When the sudden storms come and turn things upside down, dampen our dreams, and shake us to the core, that is a different story. Fear steps in and tempts us to run from the chaos, toward something that appears safer. If we surrender to that temptation, we may actually be running from the storm, and from our blessing.

Certainly, not every storm is appreciated, and acting foolishly in the storm can be a destructive choice. There is wisdom in knowing how to face a storm, and when it is the appropriate time to retreat. Such decisions are the result of sound decisions, not of fear. When we take the hand of Jesus and the hands of those who love us, we ride out the storms together. We can come through chaos to the gift that is waiting in the other side.

The rich beauty surrounding me this morning is the result of the impact of last night’s storm. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are drinking up all of the rain that fell and turning into dramatic beauty. The intense downpour turned my yard into an avian smorgasbord. The lightning ionized the air, removing dust and other particles, and making it fresh, clean, and energized. The very shaking of eight hours ago, became a loosing of beauty now.

Few people desire storms in their lives, but many of our storms are not without purpose. Sometimes, the very thing that frightens and intimidates us, is a divine tool for re-creation and new life on our journey. Old things are shaken off so new things can come forth. Dusty places are cleansed, and the air of our spirit is energized and filled with the fresh wind of God’s Spirit.

The beautiful days are indeed, the days The Lord has made, but so are the stormy ones. In all of our days, we can rejoice and be glad, for we are not alone. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, said it best on his deathbed, “The best of all is, God is with us.” In this, and the promise of a new day, we can find hope in the midst of the storm.

The post The Storm is Over appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

As the news media began reporting the forecast of a severe winter storm near the end of last month, people began to prepare for the worst. In spite of living in an area that sees plenty of snow, ice, and cold, people became increasingly afraid of what would happen. Maybe it was due to the way it was reported, or possibly because of previous experiences, nevertheless, fear was growing.

I went to the store the night the storm was to begin to pick up milk, bread, and a few other things we needed. I was not there to prepare for the storm, but it was clear many people already were. The cereal aisle was very empty as we’re the canned goods. A quick conversation with an employee revealed that the store was slammed with business by people preparing for the worst.

We do that sometimes. We hear a negative report, our emotions take hold, and we begin acting out of fear. We forget our strengths and our trust in God and begin making rash decisions trying to protect ourselves from an unknown future. At times, those decisions are downright foolish. The grocery store cashier told me of numerous people who loaded up on perishable items in preparation for losing the power to keep them. Fear will do that.

The Bible tells us that God, “did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) It is easy to give in to the negative report. It is easy to follow the fearful path of the masses around us, but we are not called to that path. We are a people of faith in the power of Almighty God. It is God who, in the face of intimidating circumstances, gives us a sound mind and the power to act with love and faith.

The Great April Storm that wasn’t is a prophetic image. All too often the negative, fearful report is wrong, and we find we surrendered much our lives afraid of what would not happen. As the people of the Resurrection, we can be prepared, but ultimately, our trust is in God. Together, let’s go forward; laying aside our fears, trusting in God and embracing his vision and power for our lives.

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It is interesting that God gets the blame for these events when, in fact, they are more directly acts of nature. It seems easy to lay the responsibility with God as if God said, “Let’s send some damaging storms their way and see what happens.” God ends up looking like the ancient Greek and Roman gods who often found pleasure in playing with and tormenting humanity, and nothing could be further from the truth.

In tragic situations, I frequently hear people ask, “why did God do this?” Such a question is understandable in the midst of crisis, but it betrays an underlying belief that God is directly responsible for the bad things that happen. Yes, there are biblical stories that show some natural disasters as expressions of God’s judgement, but these are very specific instances. Nowhere, do we find every bad experience the result of a direct action from God. I suppose, part of this struggle comes from our understanding of God’s power and direction in our lives, but these attitudes often separate God’s power, direction, and judgement from God’s mercy, grace, and love, and that is a serious flaw.

Yes, bad things happen, but God’s creative power is at work in the darkest of moments bringing illumination. The power of the resurrection can transform our experiences of pain and suffering into something amazing and life-giving. Sometimes, bad things happen. Evil exists in the world, yet the Spirit of God is always at work in and through us to overcome evil and bring forth life from death.

Instead of naming disasters “acts of God,” maybe we should begin to declare unmerited blessings and healing as those holy acts. In moments of grace, forgiveness, and hope, we see the acts of God. With expressions of love, kindness and community, we see the acts of God. In places of sacrifice, service, and salvation, we see the acts of God.

This is the great message of the Gospel, not that God is a punitive, angry deity, but that God is gracious and long-suffering, full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The revelation of God is not to be found in thunderstorms and tornados, but in places of providence and protection, and in the lives of those who bring healing and love. In these places of compassion, we see the tender heart of God acting in love toward humanity.

People may never stop referring to disasters as, “acts of God,” but we have the opportunity to be the body of Christ; the representatives of God, and show the world what God is really like. We can be the hands of action that show compassion. We can be the voice of peace, hope and love. We can offer the ministry of our presence that reflects the truth of God’s presence with us. We can align our heart with the heart of God and, allowing the Spirit to work though us, make our actions, expressions of the real acts of God.

Opportunities are all around us. Where will we begin?

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Today, I was waiting in the car while my wife picked up a few things at the store that we needed for dinner. The car heater was working hard to combat the bitter cold and wind and I was lost in the music playing from my iPod. That is when it happened; when God displayed a glimpse of his goodness and glory. It happened quickly and truthfully, I nearly missed it.

A young mother approached the car parked facing me carrying her young daughter in her arms. The wind was cutting hard across the parking lot and the snow was blowing. I watched as the young woman held her daughter closely and used her body to shield the little girl from the weather.

As the the harsh wind cut across her face, you could see the redness increasing. In spite of her discomfort, the mother placed her child in the car seat, made sure she was comfortable and warm and then climbed into her own seat and finally shut the door on the cold.

It was a scene that happens frequently in cold regions, but it that brief moment it was an image of the great love of God.I was captivated by the precious image of protection and provision. I wondered if the young girl had any idea of the sacrifice her mother was making; if she even understood her mother’s actions.

I also thought about how many times God, like this mother, shielded me from the bitterness of the storm around me, and how many times I missed it. What a wonderful image to see God holding us close to his breast, arms wrapped around us while enduring the storm’s blast on our behalf.

God wants to display his love for us so that we can see the Divine in the world around us and so that we can learn to see God’s actions in our lives more clearly. This was the whole point of the incarnation – that we would see God revealed in Jesus Christ. God is not hiding from us hoping we will survive on false hope. Instead, God is busy revealing love and grace, protection and provision, so that our faith and hope will be firmly fixed in the revelation of God.

It was clear that the mother I saw loved her child, and it is clear the God loves us. Today, is a good day to see God and to celebrate that we are in his arms.

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I awoke earlier this morning aware of something going on outside, but as my head cleared, I could not tell what it was. I turned over in bed to rest for a few minutes and thought I saw a light flashing in the room, yet when I opened my eyes, nothing was there. I thought to myself, “I am having some wild dreams this morning.” Barely had the thought crossed my mind, when I heard the loud crash of thunder. I smiled, waiting to enjoy more of the show as the words of Psalm 29 came to mind.

I love this Psalm, possibly because I love thunderstorms. I recognized that these powerful weather events cause great damage and sometimes, even death. I know that their power must be respected, but I cannot help but be awestruck by their majesty. I am always impressed, and strangely comforted in the storm.

I credit my mother with my feelings about thunderstorms. She always enjoyed them, and when I was very young, she wanted to be sure that I was not afraid as the lightning flashed and the thunder roared around our home. She would open the curtains of our large front window and hold me in her arms as we watched the glorious show nature was providing. Since then, I’ve always equated thunderstorms with a sense of wonder and of peace. The simple act my mother took, gave me the ability to rest comfortably in the midst of the storm around me.

I cannot help but think that the Psalmist must have had some similar feelings as he watched the storm form over the water and make its way toward him. I can hear the wonder in his words as he reveled in the “voice of the Lord.” He too respected the power that was in the storm, but he also saw God there as well, and it was ultimately God’s power that captivated him.

My experience with the storm this morning started me thinking about other storms in my life, the personal ones that seem so hard to pass through. I began to wonder if I could not learn something from my feelings in the physical storms that could strengthen me in the personal ones. Could it be, that just like in the times of lightning and thunder, God is present in the midst of my personal storms and that they might be moments designed to open my eyes to his presence in my life? Could God be calling me to stand at the window of my life and be awed by the storm around me while affirming my safety at the same time? Could it be, that in the midst of my greatest storms, God, like my mother, is holding on to me to comfort me, remove my fear, and assure me that everything is in his hands?

As I continue to ponder what the Holy Spirit is saying to me out of my experience, I believe that the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding, “Yes!” God is in the midst of the storm. God is calling me to trust. God is holding on to me so that the storm will not overtake me. I doubt that I will ever come to a point where I will anticipate storms in my personal life quite the way I look forward to a good thunderstorm, but I do believe that God can give me new eyes to see those storms in a new way; a way based upon God’s awesome power and my trust in God.

All of us face storms in our lives. Maybe the question before us is, can we see God in the midst of our storm? I’ve often thought about the disciples facing the storm as they tried to keep their boat afloat, while Jesus slept in the back. Of course, the story ends with them waking him and his word calming the storm, but I wonder, was this the opportunity for them to ride out the storm of their lives knowing they were safe with the Son of God in the midst of the storm with them.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said on his deathbed, “the best is God is with us.” Maybe that is all we need to know to be strong in the face of our storms.

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