Lightning and Storms
As I was driving home from work tonight I kept seeing lightning in the distance. I was driving on roads alone and it was as if God was showing this lightning just to me. People tucked safely under their roofs couldn’t see the lightning. They probably didn’t know anything was happening because there was no thunder or rain to accompany the brilliant streaks.
It got me thinking.
In life do you allow the storms to dictate your perspective? Or do you choose how to see the storms?
I met a nice gentleman last week who is writing a book and during our meeting he stated, “Today would have been my son’s 30th birthday.”
My heart sank because I quickly thought, “Of all days, why did he choose to meet today to discuss his book? This is going to be an awkward lunch.”
It was far from awkward. He regaled in stories and happy memories of his son. He smiled and laughed telling anecdotes, sharing good times of trips taken, and the meaning behind his book. His son.
I walked away thinking, “Wow, he has great faith because I would have thought this could be one of the hardest days of the year, but he wasn’t acting like it.”
That’s when it hit me. It is a hard day, but he was choosing the attitude he was going to let breed. He didn’t let the tragedy dictate his day. That storm is not one that will slither off like a spring shower, but he was going to stand up to the pelting raindrops.
I have a friend who would always quote the verse in Job, and I’m paraphrasing, “God sends rain to destroy, but He always sends rain to help flowers to grow.”
Is your storm going to destroy you or are you going to use the rain water to plant some seeds?
Everything has a purpose. God can turn any situation into a situation to give Him praise and glory.
What if the storms purpose you are going through now is so you can plant some seeds in order to give the blossoming flowers to someone else going through a similar storm years later?
I like to think God has everything intertwined (a book I hope to be releasing this fall). You may see lightning, but God sees beyond the storm. You may be holding an umbrella, but God is holding you.
So when a storm comes, you can do many things. Why not plant a seed?
What harm will it do? If may give you a reason to smile at such a crazy idea. But God’s ideas are never crazy. The world just thinks they are.
Peace friends.
