I Love a Good Storm!

As I am sitting in my study corner this morning, I am listening to the most beautiful of storms. The rain is falling right outside my window, and I can hear the thunder in the distance. I have loved storms for a long time; there's something both peaceful and powerful at the same time about a thunderstorm, and it reminds me to be amazed. The "Manas" of my women's Bible study talked last night about amazement. In this fast-paced world, too many people have ceased to be amazed by the things God does every single day . . . things like a beautiful sunset, a gorgeous sky, the consistency of the tides and the beauty of the ocean, the grandeur of the mountains, and yes, the magnificence of a storm. God created every one of these and more, and if we stop being amazed by the intricate and yet simple beauties of nature, we miss out on so very much. But there's another lesson here, too. As much as I love a great thunderstorm, I must love the "storms" in my life as well. Really? Love the troubles in my path? Love the pits into which I fall? Love the battles I must face? Yes. Emphatically, yes. Scripture says that we must be thankful in all things . . . not for all things, but in all things, and there's a difference. Need an example? I am dealing with a difficulty with the IRS right now, and it's a real mess. It's their mistake -- not mine -- but I am forced to deal with it. Now, I'm not thankful that I found this problem in my mailbox, and I'm not excited about the hour or more I expect to spend on the phone after work today, trying to clear the problem, but within this minor irritation in the scheme of my life, I can still thank God. I am thankful that I found my paperwork to fix the issue. I am thankful that God provided for us while we seek resolution. I am thankful that God is teaching me about the dangers of procrastination. (Too long to explain that one!) I am thankful that I serve a God who is bigger than the worldly troubles that attempt to throw us in a pit. I am thankful that I am anticipating an IRS agent who will help me fix this issue! As I look back over my life, I know that with every storm came growth. Sometimes the growth was painful, and I fought my way through it, and yet, I grew. And one of the things I have learned clearly in recent years is to continue to be thankful and praise God in the midst of the storm. Remember the words of the song: "I will praise You in the storm, and I will lift my hands, for You are who You are, no matter where I am." God never changes, and He has a plan for the storms in our lives, a plan that is weaving an incredible tapestry that needs the light, joyful threads as well as the dark ones to create a masterpiece. Let God work through the storms of your life today; choose -- yes, choose-- to be joyful right in the middle of the storm. And maybe, just maybe, you'll give Satan a nervous breakdown when your victory is God's victory in your life!