What has happened in this world
And what is now to come?
God’s prophets told of things to come
When the time was right… it came to pass
Jesus spoke such words of truth
When the task was finished… it came to pass
Goodness came to fill the void
Where humankind tried to strive alone
We rest assured that as we follow
With God, great things will come to pass.
Charlotte-Anne Allen
The child that was me clutched the covers tightly around her shoulders, her frightened eyes wide in the night. The summer storm roared in as rain pounded the metal roof above her head. Wind rattled the tree limbs outside and buffeted the house.
Sizzle! Bang!
Springing from her bed, she raced to the top of the stairs, calling, “Daddy! Daddy!” … and she heard his reassuring voice above the sound of the tempest outside. His footsteps sounded on the stairs and then he was beside her, comforting her.
… I well remember that long-ago night. Staying with me until the storm passed, calming and reassuring me, my father’s presence brought safety and security. The rumbles of thunder slowly grew distant and the flashes of lightning gradually ceased.
There have been many more storms since then, storms of life, tempest tossed. The faith that was instilled in me as a child revealed our Father God, though sometimes the pounding storms distracted me. The dark has a way of intensifying things doesn’t it? Where is hope in the middle of our storms?! It is difficult to hear God’s voice above stress and pain and His footsteps have gone unnoticed or forgotten.
A browned, slightly wrinkled piece of paper is a remnant of one of those stormy seasons of my life. It reads, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm 107:29). Posted in my kitchen all these years, it is still a daily reminder that God is always with me, reassuring me and calming the storms.
Even after my father returned to his own room, his presence lingered in my mind. I knew that he was close by. I knew that he loved me, demonstrated by sacrificing his own sleep even though he was exhausted after a long day of work. My family was around me and we had survived the storm together!
Psalm 107 says so much about the storms of life. Wandering in the desert, hungry and thirsty, trouble, and darkness… We encounter and struggle with all of these. In times of distress, we can have hope and reassurance that we don’t face that alone. God delivers us. He brings us through, and His love is steadfast. I’m so thankful for that!
Just as the child that was me heaved a sigh of peace and drifted off to sleep, so can we all rest secure in God’s presence. He holds life in His hands and He’s always close by.
“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed” … a reminder and a promise for us all. “Peace, be still!” *
*Psalm 107, Mark 4:39
A brick is but a paper weight;
Alone it has no greater fate.
But with its kin in ordered state
Can build a wall that’s true and straight.
** By Guest Blogger – Fred Allen **
• Sometimes it is difficult to hold things together
• Help to gather loose ends is much appreciated
• Friends are appreciated when things are falling apart
• It is important to prepare ahead of time for tasks to be done
• Remember to keep a good supply of staples
• Good character and quality build lasting results
• Action and determination must be part of the project
• Sometimes we need to push ourselves
• We are not alone when we push ourselves
• Depend on the Stapler-maker to bind and strengthen
“I hope they get here soon. I can hardly wait to see everyone!” There’s something about time together with friends and loved ones that satisfies us deep down. We wait in anticipation for visits or celebrations, yearning to see them. We’re thankful for opportunities to be with family and friends and for the support and encouragement of others.
Time alone is important too. I value and look forward to my alone times because those moments turn me and stretch me toward our Creator. Struggles and challenges in life make me aware of my own neediness. Quiet times allow me to listen from the depths of my being.
One of my favorite pieces of music is “The Yearning” by Craig Courtney. He expresses so well our struggles and our desire for a better future, for Emmanuel… God with us. “There is a yearning in hearts weighed down by ancient grief… hearts that in the darkness hide… a yearning for tomorrow.” We find joy in a “Lord who visited His own.”
Job longed to see God. He said, “I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes, I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job had a lot to face and yet he still looked to God!
Don’t we all want things to go well and to make it through any difficulties? We want full and meaningful lives. We yearn for God with us. May our yearning be satisfied as we approach God, thanking Him for His sacrifice and provision, and may we live in anticipation and fullness of life, guarded by His presence.
*Job 19:26b-27
Photo by Kathy Owen
Grand Tetons
In the quiet of your presence
Come sit with me
My companion
During loss and distress
Pain anger despair
In the quiet of your presence
The touch of your hand
A welcoming shoulder
For tears grief
For memories laughter
In the quiet of your presence
Great storms tumult
And pounding waves
In fear anguish
Drawn to your haven
In the quiet of your presence
Oh whys and what nows
No and no and no
Reef of danger or
Rock of safety
In the quiet of your presence
Blessed stillness
Washed
By shared tears
Battered and worn
In the quiet of your presence
Oh God!
Hold me
For I am bereft
Cold lost alone
Resting
In the quiet of your presence
The Still Small Voice 