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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Amidst the Storms

Soooo... if you live in Texas, or have friends in Texas, or just love to keep up with weather happenings around the country, you know that we have had some serious storm-age going on over here.

Like, flooding-tornadoes-lightning-hasn't-stopped-raining-for-a-month kinda storms.


And yes, it's crazy and almost every Texan is fed up with the rain.

But I'm just gonna say it...

I love it.

If you've never experienced a Texas lightning/thunderstorm before, you are missing out.

Last night was incredible and I don't even know if there are words to describe what I saw last night justice. Imagine the brightest orange sky to your right, dark, ominous clouds to your left, magnificently terrifying bolts of lightning literally all over the sky, and then the biggest, most vibrant, beautiful rainbow arching over everything. And it was a double rainbow!!!

I mean WHAT???!!!

And then there was about a 3 or 5 minute window where the sun was setting, but somehow the clouds in the sky were creating these intense shadows on the trees and ground. And this was at 8:15-ish at night, so it was weird.

Like, I thought Jesus was coming back. (Which I mean, I was ok with)

But I just thought to myself, this rain is going to end. There will be a time when this rain will stop. It won't be 65 degrees in Texas at the end of May probably ever again. I may not ever see a sky like this again in my lifetime. There will be a time when we pray for more rain, and maybe look back on that summer of 2015 when the whole state of Texas flooded and wish we had even a drop of that rain.

But I also thought it was such a beautiful picture of life.

Just like the storms that have been tormenting Texas for the last month, there are "storms" in our lives. And sometimes, it feels like a flood, never ending and always increasing in pain and loss. But somewhere, amidst the storms of life, we get a glimpse of hope. We see the rainbow.

can you see it? can you see the double rainbow?!

And the rainbow is a promise. Not only is it amazing that the rainbow symbolizes God never flooding the whole earth again (which I think some of us Texans needed that reminder!), but it's amazing that during life's storms, we can hold on to the promises of God. We have to believe that the rainbow is coming, that the sun is still shining beyond the clouds. Though we may not be able to see it at that moment, we need to ask ourselves, "What am I believing right now? Do I believe God is who He says He is?"

Because my friends, His promises are either true or they aren't. He is either good, or He isn't. He is either faithful, or He isn't. I don't know what "storms" are going on in your life right now, but there is hope. There is hope in the ONE who will never fail you. (Deuteronomy 4:31) There is hope in the ONE who is the LIFE-giver. (John 11:25-26) There is hope in the ONE who cannot lie. (Hebrews 6:18) There is hope in the ONE who is faithful when we are faithless. (2 Timothy 2:13) There is hope in the ONE who never changes. (Hebrews 13:8) His word is either true or it isn't. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Don't put your hope in just "getting out of the storm" or even lose hope amidst the storm.

There is hope. Seek Him and you will find Him. (Matthew 7:7) That is a promise. Hold fast to His promises sweet friends and family. Because during our darkest times, His love and grace and compassion for us can shine brighter than ever before.

ever hopeful,
lisa

for as many are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20