God is With Us in the Storm

 

A powerful and very strange storm blew through my little neighborhood last night. As I walked this morning, the sidewalks, lawns and streets were covered in trash from all the wonderful trees. In several places I found my route blocked by fallen limbs and large portions of trees. It was a surprise to find that some neighbors had been without power all night, and still were. In one of these pictures, there is a car under that huge limb. The light show was spectacular for much longer than the usual Texas summer thunderstorm. It just rolled on and on and on for hours, nature’s strobe briefly illuminating the gloomy night.

But the sun rose pink and promising as people began the process of cleaning up and examining their homes for damage. Neighbors met in the middle of their streets to share stories and talk about when the power would return. Employees from the city were already out and about, taking inventory of broken trees and fallen limbs. In less than thirty minutes of daylight the world was returning to business. It was a new day and we found a way to begin again.

Life is full of storms. Some, we see coming. Some catch us unaware. All disrupt and make a mess of things. All it takes to clean up from some storms is to pick up a few branches and sweep up a few fallen leaves. Other storms leave more lasting effects, such as smashed cars and blue tarps pulled tight across damaged roofs. Some storms disrupt our lives by blocking our paths and knocking out the power and bringing our routine to a sudden halt.

I recall the old song that says, “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.” Storms can be scary. Storms are disruptive. Storms can go on and on and on. But we weather them much better when we are mindful we are not alone. God is with us in the storms. There are those neighbors who have experienced the same storm. Those who have gone before us stand with us. I love the image this morning of the neighbors meeting in the street to share the storm. There was a peace about that image. There was a sense of community.

The world is a stormy place. We should be there for each other.

Peace.