The Storm
On the day that Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida with its fury, I was living in northern Florida. Our skies, so heavy with humidity, were filled that day with gorgeous, cotton ball-like clouds against one of the bluest skies I had ever seen.
It is an oddity of life that while we were totally unaffected by the weather that day, there were many in the path of that storm who lost all their possessions and some lost their lives. I couldn’t see the seriousness of the situation from where we were. Things looked just fine.
The devastation and desperation of that day became clear days later as news reports poured in. That storm is remembered by those who survived it as one of the worst in this nation’s history, yet to the majority of Americans, that day was like any other.
Isn’t this the way life is? We stand next to people in the grocery store who are troubled. We see people in their cars at traffic lights who are in crisis, and even have casual conversations with our neighbors whose lives are out of control. Yet, we never really know the devastation that they are facing at the moment that we see them.
Unlike us, God the Father really sees them, not their faces. He sees their hearts, emotions, and pain. He sees their circumstances and condition. In John 16:33, Christ tells us that in this world, we will have trouble. His statement was unequivocal; we will have trouble. John 16:33 also tells us to be glad, because he (Christ) has overcome the world!
1 Thessalonians 5, we are admonished to pray without ceasing. Pray for those around you who may have a need greater than you will ever know. As you pray, know that you are praying to a God without limits. Not only does he know the need, he knows how to meet it.
– TH –