Watching for the Rain

This morning finds us looking at a wet and storm ridden land. Though the storm was minor, they warned us of worse. We watched last night waiting to see when it would come. We watched for the rain and wanted to know where it was and where it was going. And then it wasn't so bad after all and it moved on.

The storms of our lives can be like that. We look for something to come and it isn't as bad as we thought it would be. We want to track the things that might cause us discomfort and know when they are coming, where they are going and when they will pass. And sometimes they pass and it wasn't so bad after all. And we can look around and maybe even see how we were nourished through the experience--the way the rain waters the earth. And then, rarely, the hurricanes come. Sometimes we're prepared. Sometimes we're not. And in the recovery of the hurricanes, we rely on our friends and our family to see us through.

I pray that I may never have to be the one in the storm. And that I may the one who is prepared if the storm comes. And that I may be the one who is quick to help others in the storm recover. Remembering always that it is God who gives the strength to endure all of these.

I am going to see an infant in the hospital today. What a storm. People all around have financial woes. The storm rages. Families are hurting everywhere. The storm howls. May we be the ones to help see them through and guide them to God's protection in the storm.

Going for a Drive

With family in town (again), it is time to take them for a drive. We're headed to see all the things to be seen in Fairhope, then over to Foley and then down to the beach. Should be some interesting times. I've got the mighty mini-van all spiffed up and I think we're ready to go. We've talked about what we wanted to see and why and now it's about time to go.

I thought about that in a spiritual realm as well. If I had the opportunity, where I would I take God in the parts of my life? What would I show Him that I am so proud of? What would I scrub clean before I allowed Him to ride with me? I know He's already there. But the point is this: I get so ready to do that with my family, what would I do with me Lord? What do I need to get rid of? What do I need to be proud of? When do I just need to be quiet and listen to what He's going to tell me? When do I just need to drive on? May God grant me the wisdom to figure out how to do just these.

Where does it begin

I've been thinking about what people have been searching for all these generations. The Greek philosophers were obsessed with the absolute Truth. I am working on a message for Sunday morning where we'll look into John 1--The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. The Word is Logos--absolute Truth. In a world of shifting values and ideas, how great is us to remember that there is a bottom line. There are lines on the court, there are lines marked on the field that mean something. And God put those lines there for us to use and to protect us, from ourselves. And when we couldn't do that, He sent His Son to show us how to live and how to operate in such a world.

That's the Light that has come into the world. The darkness couldn't see it, but the Light is here. May we look to that light for our answers and our guidance.