December 1

Day 262: Storms

Many of us didn't sleep much last night. The big winds kept me awake, listening for what I hoped wouldn't be a large cracking sound, followed by the thud of a tree landing on our roof. Maybe even turning our house into an unintended duplex.

It isn't like falling trees are the only inevitable. These trees have withstood winds like this many times in the past. It was just the possibility that a tree landing on the house was a possibility.

We had not one, but two power outages last night. We found ourselves staring into the darkest of dark in the early morning hours. The winter dark outside only contributed. Not seeing anything heightened our other senses. Hearing, primarily (See above.)

If the wind, the rain, the dark all contribute to being a metaphor for our lives right now, what does that metaphor convey? The need for light. We can all negotiate the storm, if we can see something in it.

Job was living a storm. He had lost everything. Soon after, three of his friends show up to commiserate. Their helpful words consisted of only this: You must have sinned in a big way for all of this bad to have happened to you! (How very encouraging, indeed.)

Now, to be fair, we might all agree; bad stuff ultimately happens to people who set out to be and do bad stuff. Our version of a legal system is still built on that.

But, while Job had not been perfect (who is?) he was a pretty faithful guy. He loved the God he served. He was generous with what God had given him. He even regularly prayed for and blessed his children, just in case they had failed in some way.

But now Job is asking the proverbial question: How come bad things happen to good people? The answer is, of course, there are no good people (Romans 3:12.)

But, if Christians are those who have been deemed good in God's eyes, by and through the person and work of Jesus, how come we're not exempt from enduring storms?

Maybe because the storms God introduces into our lives have purpose; and not a bad purpose. Maybe these storms are a loving expression of God's grace to us? Maybe these storms are not judgment, but are the loving discipline from a loving Father?

Maybe our storms will drive us closer to the One who calms the rough seas and commands the winds to cease. Maybe our storms give us opportunity to model to others what faithful endurance looks like. Maybe it's only in storms that gospel resilience can be forged.

And maybe our storms cause us (force us) to look for light in the midst of pitch black darkness. In those moments, the "light" can be quantified and qualified as believing the promises of God. Even the promises that include hardship; the promise that our good God gives only good gifts to His children.

A mature boat captain will not entertain the idea of pushing away from the dock in the midst of a storm. In anyone's eyes that is foolhardy. That same boat captain, however, cannot control the weather or the seas once his boat is out in deep water.

Meaning, we cannot control the storms that come up. We can only control our response to those storms.

For me, there remain only one option. To move myself much closer to the One who does control the storms. Trusting Him to have a good purpose for me in the storm, even if I cannot see that purpose myself.

I want to be like the trees near our house that have withstood and will continue to withstand the storms today and after. I want to weather the weather.

I will only do so trusting the God who brings the storms, controls the intensity and duration of those storms, and utilizes those storms as the best means to accomplish what He wants for me.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau