Finding Hope in the Somewhats

        The cardiologist entered my assigned exam room. Hubby and I would get the lowdown on yet another diagnosis for me—this time, AFib.* Not life-threatening, I’d been told, but a concern primarily due to increased risk of stroke.

        Okay. I started on a prescribed medication to combat stroke. Next step?

        I hoped for ablation. Yup! That held possibility of eliminating this new threat to my already presumed abbreviated life due to lung disease. So, that’s what my choice would be.

        Ablation: a medical procedure where an instrument would be fed from my lower region up into my heart and burn out the tiny area causing an extra systolic beat. Goal: Changing the bah-bah-bum, returning it to a normal bah-bum.

        That would do quite fine, thank you very much.

        But the cardiologist didn’t have those words for me. Instead, he said, “Normally we could…”

        Normally? Uh-oh. Already a warning here, raced this thought through my head.

        “…go in and…” and the doctor went on quite calmly.

        My mind skipped over the rest of his “normally” to the “but.”

        “But because of your lung disease, I wouldn’t take the risk of operating on you. Putting you under.” He x-ed out ablation in the diagram he’d already drawn on a white board to explain AFib.      

        I zeroed in on him. “I hoped you could fix this.”

        “I’m sorry, but your situation makes it more risk than worth.” He stood silent for some moments.

        I processed: No ablation. Stupid lung disease. Rats! “Oh well,” I finally blurted, shrugging my shoulders and glancing at my husband with a grimace.

        “I can prescribe a medication. It’s not a fix, but it’s somewhat of a help,” the doctor said.

        I tilted my head left to right and back again. “I guess somewhat’s better than nothing.”

        “It is.”

        So, we left the doctor’s office with a tidbit of hope in my overly active heart.

        When we were back in the car, I admitted, “I’m sort of disappointed. I really hoped to cross this problem off my list.”

        “It would’ve been nice,” Brian said. “Maybe you’ll feel better after a nice lunch. You pick the place.”

        “Joisey Mike’s!” I said attempting to lighten my mood.

        “Okay, Joisey girl!”

        And we headed on our way.

        “I wanna cry but not,” I said. “I mean, this isn’t a nothing. Right?”

        “Right,” Brian affirmed.

        “Sorta like when we went to the pulmonologist, and he told me I made gains after months of rehab. Some progress. So much hard work to gain just 1% in one score and 2% in another on my PFT** though.” My shoulders dropped.

        “But, Sarah, at least your scores went up, not down,” Brian said, turning toward our next stop.

        “I know. I guess it helped somewhat.”

        “And somewhat’s better than nothing. Right?”

 

        I broke a smile. “Where have I heard that before?”

 

        Somewhat’s better than nothing. Something to cling to—to keep me from drowning.

 

       Was I disappointed? For a while. Maybe 30 minutes. But, I admit, I thoroughly enjoyed that Jersey Mike’s sub!

*****

        Not long ago, I shared in a blog post about a young lady named Jane who went by stage-name Nightbirde. She had cancer that returned a 3^rd time—this time giving her only a 2% chance of survival. I think Jane must’ve struggled with that news when her oncologist broke it to her.

 

        But Jane (a believer in Jesus) wasn’t always weighted down by this news. Instead, at the close of her audition on America’s Got Talent, this beautiful but frail woman said, “I have a 2% chance of survival, but 2% is not 0%. 2% is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is.”

 

        Can you imagine? I can’t, yet faith in Jesus Christ offers hope—solid ground to stand on.

 

        My diagnosis is so far below the seriousness of Jane’s, yet we—for a brief moment—may’ve share something in common—finding something in what looked more like nothing. 

        And that’s something! Small perhaps but a positive step.

        Reader, have you been in a situation where you find yourself questioning if there’s anything left? Does it look like you’re facing nothing? Are you wanting to cling to something?

        Someone?

        Hope! There’s always hope because that isn’t just a thing—it’s a Him! Jesus Christ provides a solid foundation for our faith, and this gives us hope…

        …even in the somewhats.

The Solid Rock

 

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

Refrain: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

 

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

 

His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

 

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found:
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

(from the hymn, The Solid Rock, by Edward Mote, 1834, public domain)

 

#hope #AFib #ablation #JesusChrist #firmfoundation #solidrock

  *atrial fibrillation

**Pulmonary Function Test

Photo Credit: Hope in sky—vecteezy.com

Dreams ~ Part 2 ~The I-Hope-So Kind

        It all starts with a dream!

        Yep, that’s what the poster in the office of the used-car salesman announced. But why were we there? We’d not been in the market for a car and had a dependable one until the previous week.

        Then the hailstorm struck! Not just any hailstorm. We’re talkin’ record-breaking! And amongst the 1,000s of vehicles that were targeted was… 

        Ours—a 2019 Ford Explorer with tow hitch! Totaled!

        But why mention the hitch?

        Because it didn’t really start with the hailstorm.

        It started with a dream.

        Back up with me to January 18^th, 2024. Brian and I sat in a used car dealership signing our lives away (not really but it felt that way) to purchase the Explorer because we’d need a vehicle hefty enough to tow a camper.

        Did we own a camper? No, but—hey—that was part of the dream, and we figured we’d take step 1—heftier vehicle—then pray for step 2’s provision. But why did we need a camper?

        Let’s back up even further. September 12^th, 2023 our son’s memoir* celebrated its release! This, the culmination of a year’s writing by Min dictating to me, his scribe. Once the writing was done, the editing began and all the other amazing headaches that go into getting a book ready to market. I can’t say I ever remember a more stressful experience, but…

        This was our son’s dream—to tell his story. He was 100% sure God wanted him to do it, despite how difficult it would be with his neurodivergent challenges and physical illness. And, while we worked together as a family to help Min fulfill his dream, Brian and I realized this was a God-assignment.

        Authors market their books. How would this happen? We’d couple Min’s dream with our need to travel for missionary deputation/outreach. After all, it’d been quite a while since Brian and I had been able to visit supporting churches and individuals.

        “It’ll be fun,” Min said.

        “It’ll be a great opportunity,” I said.

        “It’ll require means for us affording it,” Brian said, “and that will take an updated vehicle able to pull a camper for our lodging.”

        So, we began mapping out routes—where we’d travel during what season of the year. Min purchased a variety of interesting him-like items for his book-signing table (including mini glow-in-the-dark aliens because he was certain everyone would want one), and Brian and I went to buy the car.

        So, that brings us up to the purchase + 1 month.

        The dream that we caught from Min crashed when I stepped into a pulmonologist’s office, learned I had a lung disease, and would be placed on oxygen 24/7. Oh, it was much more complex than that, but another doctor let us know I might be helped and could possibly go off oxygen if we did a home mold study and had that cleaned out.

        $30,000+ later, after months of tearing apart our home and the pros removing mold throughout much of our abode and the reconstruct (which was its own nightmare), time would tell if there was hope for me and my fibrotic lungs.

        Call me naïve. Call me ignorant. Call me whatever you want (within reason), but I thought even at this point we’d adapt, drag along a portable O2 unit, and live out our dream.

        But this goal hung in the balances. I was so sick and my prognosis less than promising, barring Divine Intervention. The idea of going anywhere planted anxiety and doubt.

        And after our house was “cured,” I was not. My disease had progressed too far.

        Then Brian experienced health challenges ending in a surgery that permanently damaged his right arm functions. Would he be able to handle setting up a camper? Drive long distances? Have any energy left to do meetings or book-signings after all that? We had serious doubts.

        Thus, the dream took another hit. We resigned to the fact we must rethink our dream which, by now, also “lacked oxygen!”

        Why tell you all this, reader? Because sometimes our I-hope-so dreams can be delayed, change, become wounded, break, or even die.

        In our case, this wasn’t the end of the world, but we did need to toss our original plan, grieve the loss, and accept it as God directing us in another way.

        I guess I somewhat grieved losing the Ford Explorer. Not because it wasn’t replaceable. Of course it was, but it represented our incomplete dream—the one birthed when Min finished his memoir.

        And now that I’ve had some time to reflect on the past month, I realize I wasn’t really grieving the now-totaled car. I more than likely revisited my own grief—the one stealing breath from my lungs.

        Since grief can hit repeatedly over time, might I even grieve this again? And again?

        And yet again?

        In some ways, I compartmentalized all this. Example (talking to myself): Sarah, you’re getting older. You could’ve had a disease at this point in life or even died. I mean, you’ve even outlived your mother. So, is a problem like this really very surprising?

        Oops! That wasn’t a very “neatly packed little box.”

        Or: How about being thankful for the life you still have, Sarah? Look at all God’s done for you and is going to continue to do because of His unfailing love?

        Now that’s much better!

        What about dreams that are much more important than what I’ve shared? The loss of a child? A fire that consumes everything? Being victim of a crime?

        All dreams that don’t succeed have a certain amount in common but to greatly differing degrees, depending on its “name” and closeness of it.

        So, what, dear reader, can you do if your dream suffers a blow?

        May I suggest these steps to you?

1)     Recognize the dream might not be what it started out to be.

2)     Grieve the loss of your original dream—even if it requires revisiting it.

3)     Pray and commit your broken dream to God. He is able and willing to help.

4)     Be assured He can heal broken dreams, no matter what they are.

5)     Adopt a new dream. You may be surprised where God leads through this.

        Reader, how ’bout you and I take our broken dreams, hand the pieces over to God, and let Him create something new, useful, and beautiful!

        And, no matter what! Keep looking up! The God of Hope is ever-present, has a plan for our good, and is able to carry us through!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,

thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

         I’ve Come Too Far to Look Back by Nancy Harmon (1970s)

“…He can mend broken dreams…”

I've Come Too Far | Small Town USA | Official Music Video | Redeemed Quartet

#dreams #hopes #plans #grieving #newdreams #Godcanmend

Disclaimer: I am not a counselor—just a person who shares her experiences with hope those help others along life’s way.

 

*A Home for Min Soo ~ Putting Together the Pieces of My Life by Kim, Min Soo

Photo Credit: broken dreams—shutterstock.com, son with memoir—family owned, USA map—alamy 

Dreams ~ Part 1 ~The Sleeping Kind

        It all starts with a dream read a poster in the office of the salesman who helped us make one of their cars ours. Accompanying the caption? An awesome vehicle with its headlights staring at us.

        “‘It all starts with a dream.’ Scary,” I somewhat whispered to my husband but was overheard by the salesman, much to my chagrin. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t start with any of mine!”

        The salesman looked a bit puzzled.

        Brian laughed and addressed him. “Her dreams are totally whacky.”

        “Oooh, I have some of those too,” the salesman said, smiled, then continued with the stack of paperwork.

         I confess. I tend to have wild dreams. Some I remember to tell Brian in the morning (poor guy) and some disappear into thin air.

        But this brief exchange at the car dealership, in a twisted way, reminded me of a conversation with my sister a month earlier when we found ourselves talking about childhood memories.

        “I had a reoccurring dream when we were kids,” I said.

        “Oh? Tell me!” Carolyn urged.

        “I dreamed I was in a wheelchair, tried to stand to walk, and fell down. I had this one over and over. It was so real to me that I actually woke sometimes, thinking I was falling.”

        “I used to have one repeatedly also.” Then she shared hers with me.

        “Sometimes I wonder if God was preparing me in a way.”

        “For?”

       “For work with the disabled. When I was a camp counselor and then a houseparent to kids in wheelchairs, I remembered that dream. And, when one of the kids fell out of her wheelchair, it brought back some of what I’d sensed. In a way, it helped me be sensitive to her tears and maybe even her fear.”

        “Could be,” Carolyn said.

        Dreams. The ones that visit us over and over. Do they matter? Could they be from God? Do they redirect us?

        I don’t believe dreams are mystical, but I do think—as in the example above—some nudge us and may hold purpose.

        Another example: Occasionally I dream I’m spending time with my parents or best friend, all who are in Heaven now. I believe God helps me not miss them as much due to those “visits.” These also remind me sweetly of eternity with the Lord and those I love!

        Dreams may plant a sense of urgency—that I need to either pray for that person, write to him/her, or make a call.

        An extreme example of this: Decades ago, I dreamed one of our military sons was in danger. At that time, Michael was deployed in war. I remember shooting straight up in bed, waking Brian, and saying, “We need to pray for Michael!”

        Unbeknownst to us at that time, more than 500 miles away a girl who’d attended the same school as our sons woke abruptly, ran to her parents’ room, and cried, “Mom, we need to pray for Michael Hampshire!”

        And they did. (I learned this much later when the mother wrote a letter about the experience.)     

        When Michael returned home, he told us of an event that fell within the timeframe of those alert-awakenings—where his life along with others could’ve been snuffed out but wasn’t because of an “unplanned delay.”

        “I don’t know why we did it,” he shared, “but we stopped in the town to visit the director of sanitation. We only stopped for 5 minutes. While we were there, 5-minutes down the road an IED* was discovered and defused. We would’ve driven over it if we’d not made that stop.”

        I firmly believe the dreams both the girl and I experienced were God’s wake-up alarms! And how I thank God for doing that!

        In 2021, a lovely lady named Jane Marczewski appeared on America’s Got Talent (AGT). When the judges did their casual getting-to-know-you bit before her audition, they discovered this was no ordinary contestant standing before them.

        With a glowing smile Jane told the judges she’d sing an original piece, It’s OK. ( America's Got Talent - Nightbirde "It's OK" Golden Buzzer Performance ) When asked what birthed this song, she shared she had cancer that now returned a 3^rd time.

        Jane actually went by her stage name at the AGT audition, having had performance experience since her college days at Liberty University.

        Stage name? Nightbirde.

        When a fan asked how Jane came up with that, she shared—“Woke up in the night 3 times, dreaming of birds singing in the dark. The third time, I went to the window and they were there singing morning songs at 3 a.m. I wanted to be one of them singing as if it was morning, though I couldn't see it yet.”

        Nightbirde, a girl who truly sang through her nights, won the golden buzzer when she performed on AGT, but withdrew from the finals when her cancer progressed.

        And when she feared she might not survive, Nightbirde (as she became known worldwide) recorded this:

        “I was looking for an answer that didn’t hurt. I don’t know where to start in understanding my life...And recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how when Jesus died, he asked why. ‘Why did You forsake me?’ But Jesus knew. He was there from the beginning. When it was all planned out. He was God Himself. He knew. But, um, pain that bad can make you forget.

        And so I’m out here. I keep writing in this stupid journal. “Why?”…it’s not like I don’t know the answer. It’s like I’m looking for an answer that doesn’t hurt. I’m trying to understand why all these things happen to me and why I’m here and why I’m not better…There’s lots of answers that fit. It is like life is hard and bad things happen and we have choices; or maybe, ya know, God is letting this story go out and heal people even though it’s hurting me. Maybe that’s the sacrifice I have to be willing to make…”**

        Nightbirde’s song in the dark ended when she went to Glory in 2022. Her reoccurring dream reflected the end of her life. But she no longer sings in the dark!

        When writing this blog post, I wondered what song to choose for our time together. Then The Holy City jumped into my thoughts. As I typed the words, I became curious what motivated Mr. Weatherly to write the lyrics. So, I did a little research and learned he had a reoccurring dream that led him to pen the words.***

        May this beautiful song touch you, give you hope and joy, and turn your heart Heavenward!

The Holy City

Bill & Gloria Gaither - The Holy City [Live] ft. Larry Ford

Last night I lay a sleeping, there came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing, and ever as they sang,
Methought the voice of angels from Heav’n in answer rang;
Methought the voice of angels from Heav’n in answer rang:

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest—Hosanna to your King!

 

And then methought my dream was changed, the streets no longer rang,
Hushed were the glad hosannas the little children sang.
The sun grew dark with mystery, the morn was cold and chill,
As the shadow of a cross arose upon a lonely hill,
As the shadow of a cross arose upon a lonely hill.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Hark! how the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest—Hosanna to your King.

And once again the scene was changed, new earth there seem’d to be,
I saw the Holy City beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets, the gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter, and no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night, or sun to shine by day,
It was the new Jerusalem that would not pass away,
It was the new Jerusalem that would not pass away.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Sing, for the night is o’er!
Hosanna in the highest—Hosanna for evermore!
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna for evermore!

 

(hymn The Holy City, by Frederick Edward Weatherly, 1892, public domain)

#dreams #purpose #IEDinwar #Nightbirde #FrederickEWeatherly #HolyCityNewJerusalem

    *improvised explosive device

  **a portion of a Nightbirde short / also from AGT video on YouTube

***Of course, the God-given dream was scribed by John—in the Bible Book of Revelation.

Photo Credit: poster—Walmart, son—family-owned, Nightbirde—reddit.com 

Do I Hear Wedding Music?

        “Is that wedding music I hear?” Could be! After all, many a bride chooses the month of June to tie the knot. It’s the most popular month for marriages for numerous reasons—some of those being tradition, better weather, longer daylight hours for celebrating, and availability of lots of flowers.

        I’ll skip the ancient Roman reasons for June marriages (weird and ungodly, to say the least), move up the continent, and jump ahead centuries.

        In medieval Europe, marriages took place after spring planting and before harvest to ensure families returned in time to bring in their yield. Also, around June was considered a good time to bathe (done very infrequently in that era) to assure the bride and groom smelled their best! Oh, and that’s where tradition of carrying fresh flowers and herbs originated—to assure a pleasant scent.

        Brian and I chose to marry in November, but I can assure you. We bathed (how frivolous of us—smile)…and not in June! Well, yes, we did bathe in June too, along with all the other months. (Or should I say, I assume my intended washed as I definitely didn’t witness that!)

        Fresh flowers were so costly in 1978 when these young missionaries planned their wedding, so my mother and I drove to a grocery store where we’d heard they sold lovely silks.

        Indeed, they did! I chose a mix for each handcrafted basket my bridesmaids would carry (made by a disabled friend), extra to make a halo for my junior bridesmaid (our niece), and enough for boutonnieres.

        Then Mom told me she’d heard about a bride who, instead of carrying a bouquet of flowers, held her Bible.

        I loved that idea and picked special silk flowers to place on top of my Bible—in the form of a corsage so I could wear that on my going-away dress following the wedding. I also sewed a silk cover with lace matching my wedding gown for a special wedding day Bible cover (which, along with the corsage, I treasure to this day).

        Our invitations were designed by us at Brian’s suggestion. He particularly liked a ceramic tile I’d made in a college art class. We transferred that simple design onto paper, created the message we wished to be our announcement, and took the master copy to a printer who worked his magic.

        One funny memory regarding those invitations: To totally copy the original design the paper needed to pass through the press 4 times. That would be super expensive, so we requested the printer run the main color—brown—on gold-tone parchment paper.

        Then we ventured over to an art superstore, found 3 permanent markers matching the tile colors, and purchased those. For the next month, every time we had free moments, Brian and I colored our invitations. (Yup, we really did.)

        Everything about our wedding was low budget. But, to be honest, I don’t think I would’ve wanted it any other way, even if we’d been blessed with funds to do more. All that didn’t really matter so much.

        What counted? This man and this woman pledged their abiding devotion to one another, along with other things—yes, including that I’d obey (smile)—from that day forward and forever more.

        Oh, about the obeying thing: (“Rabbit trail” here!)

        Recently, I went through all my files of everything I ever wrote since 6^th grade. Good grief! Some works were okay-ish, some laughable, and one especially grabbed my attention. The title? “What I’m Looking for in a Husband.”

        I won’t bore you with the 20 requirements I listed, but #8 cracked me up! “He needs to be able to keep me in line.” Um, okay, good goal, but no one had been able to do that up until then—but…

        Kudos, Brian Hampshire! You score the highest! (End of “rabbit trail!”)

        Now, wedding music: I always wanted a song Queen Elizabeth II had at her wedding—The Lord’s My Shepherd plus other musical pieces I’d loved over the years. Brian chose favorites of his (Gaither numbers) to be sung by special friends. 

        And, for our wedding march? Something a little different, but I love it to this day—Sheep May Safely Graze played by a flutist, accompanied on the organ.

Sheep May Safely Graze by Johann Sebastian Bach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BMCE7XJ2H8&list=RD0BMCE7XJ2H8&start_radio=1

        “Is that wedding music I hear?” Yes—at least it was ours!

        But I digress. We actually sang a couple duets at our reception, one of which was One & One Makes Two from Sesame Street. (We really did.)

One & One Makes Two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Yc0RYDS7w&list=RDy5Yc0RYDS7w&start_radio=1  

 

        “Is that wedding music I hear?” Nope. Not even close. Forgive me for slipping that memory in. It was fun, though, and quite surprised our guests!

        We enjoyed our very us wedding. And that day began what’s now been decades together, serving the King of kings! A marriage that survived multiple no-matter-whats—those life things that happen and can tear marriages apart.

        By now we’ve seen our children marry and look forward to one of our grandchildren’s weddings in the not-to-distant future.

        But there’s another Wedding Day a-comin’! Preparations are being made, and the Lord of hosts has invited us to attend. It’s gonna be huge. The best ever!

        We’re going!  

        You’ve been invited too! Have you accepted God’s invitation? This wedding is for all who’ve accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord (the bride of Christ).

        Right now, we’re just waitin’ for the Groom to say, “Rise, My children—Come on in.” 

Wedding Music

Wedding Music by the Kingdom Heirs

 

        Yes, that’s wedding music we’ll hear! And it’s gonna be amazing!

#wedding #Junebride #groom #marriage #weddingmusic #Lord #marriagefeastoftheLamb

*lyrics in italics & quotes from Wedding Music, written by Cross & Talley, released 2005 

Photo Credit: wedding rings—camella.com.ph, sheet music—shutterstock.com, heavenly clouds—freepik.com

Storms Aren’t for Always

        As I write, thunder bellows, and a storm rolls closer!

        Everyone who lives here in “tornado alley” knows to beware of shelf clouds. If they send down “tentacles” that begin swirling and dropping toward earth, sirens blare and emergency broadcasters instruct listeners to take cover!

        Actually, this isn’t our first hefty storm experience. There’ve been many.

        The worst hailstorm in our recorded history happened last month. The racket those tennis- and baseball-size hailstones made hitting our roof terrified us. Even elderly folks who’ve always lived here said, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”

        Thousands (no exaggeration) of car windshields were damaged! At the airport (about 30 miles from here) an estimated 1,500 cars were damaged. The wait to get those and our roofs repaired is estimated to take at least 2 months.

        The largest city to our west—Joplin, Missouri—just marked its 16^th anniversary of the horrific, killer tornado that destroyed so much of their city.

        I remember our first trip to Joplin after moving here. Brian and I drove along, and I commented, “Wow! What a nice city this is!” I pointed to the left. “Everything over there looks so new!”

        Then it struck me—Brian too. And we fell silent.

        Of course it was new. We couldn’t imagine the scope of damage that tornado left, but it was crystal clear how much ground it covered—not by the sight of destruction but by multitudes of new structures.

        Yet, this also showed Joplin’s resilience. To build again.

         Of course, the greatest loss in storms is human life. Our own pastor lost a brother in one. I can’t imagine.

         Storms come in many forms. Predicted or by surprise. Mediocre in strength or fierce. Causing inconvenient messes or total destruction.                                               

        There will always be storms. But a “good” thing about storms? They aren’t for always. And after many storms? You might just be surprised by rainbows painted in the sky!

        Rainbows assure us the storm has passed. Rainbows can restore hope. Rainbows mark the fact we’ve survived the storm. And they point us to our magnificent Creator Who, by painting the sky, reminds us He keeps His promises and cares. After all, He doesn’t just show up when the storm’s over. He’s been with us through them all—patiently “holding his brush and pallet of colors.”

        Life is filled with storms, and no one escapes them. That’s part of living in a fallen world. Okay. We don’t call those tornadoes, hail, flood, or anything like that. Instead, we call them broken relationships, death of a loved one, losing all one owns in a fire…and any other catastrophe that hits.

        Storms cause damage. They hurt. They also leave marks that they were there.

        But remember. Storms aren’t for always. There are rainbows too, helping us look forward. To regroup. To recover. To begin again if all vanished in the storm.

        This isn’t my idea. Let me walk back with you to one of the oldest accounts in the Bible.

        Job, a righteous man who loved Hashem (God) with all his heart and soul, faced tragedy after tragedy—one after the other.

        The enemy was sure Job would turn away from God after all he endured, but—as always—the devil was wrong.

        God knew otherwise and allowed the devil to bombard Job. You see, Job’s faith and love of his Redeemer was firm in the good times—so it would hold true no matter what, and God knew Job would pass the test even after being hit by “storms”—afflictions. And he also lost all his children in a literal storm! (If you’ve not read the account of Job, you might want to do that. It will help you face hardships you think you cannot possibly endure.)

        Oh, there was a conversation where Job lamented his suffering to God, but he never turned away from Hashem.

        And after Job’s “storms?” God restored all his losses x two! Job’s “rainbow life”*—after which he proclaimed, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.” –Job 1:21b

        Reader, if you’ve been through storms and are now on the rainbow side, you’re very much aware the memories of those storms—the damage and devastation you suffered—marked you, just like real storms. Severe ones do that. They change us, just like destructive weather alters our world.

        I hope and pray you’ll weather your storms, grasp the promised hope given by the Creator of rainbows, and know there’s always a way to begin again.

        You’ll always remember those storms but can also share with others how God brought you through them—because now you’re on the telling side because…

        …storms aren’t for always.

Till the Storm Passes By sung during a gathering at the Collingsworth home—

Thanksgiving 2024--"Til The Storm Passes By" (much larger group than first time)

(from the hymn, Till the Storm Passes By, by Mosie Lister, 1958)

        A day will arrive when there’ll be no more storms of any kind! And where will that happen? In Heaven. And when will it take place? When Jesus comes to take His children Home…

        …and Home is for always!

#storms #hail #tornado #flood #rainbows #neveralone #hope #promise #Job #Heaven

*a new beginning/starting again…“representing hope, healing, and joy after a period of grief and trauma.” –bing

Photo Credit: shelf cloud—iStock, balls & hail—from hometown citizen, posted on Facebook, rainbow—Pexels, Job—shutterstock.com.