The Storm

Tonight I just wanted to encourage anyone out there who wonders where God is sometimes. I watches a video done by this guy that we sometimes use for youth services..this particular message really touched my heart. While I feel like there is "turmoil" all around me in my life right now, I can honestly say that because of HIM, internally I am truly at peace. I recognize all these stressful things (as duly noted by my various social networking sites) but truth be told..God is doing something really great inside my spirit.  I trust that it will all come together in his timing and I am at peace because of that.

So the story goes like this:

He was camping with his family and decided to go on a hike with his, then, 1 year old son in a backpack on his back. A few miles into the trip, it started raining. At first it was a small rain, and his son wasn't too concerned...but as it continued, the rain began coming down harder, lightning and thunder were all around them, and the wind was blowing the trees all over the place...his son began crying, even wailing....his reality at that moment was soaking wet, full of fear and confusion...It was all he knew. But the dad....knew the way home. So even though he could recognize his son's reality, he also knew it was temporary. Pretty soon, the son's cries seemed unbearable to the father, he responded to the cries of his child....he took the backpack off, and wrapped his son up close to his chest, as close to his heartbeat as he could, and he began whispering "I love you son..Don't worry, Daddy knows the way home...We're almost there and we're gonna be okay....I love you child" over and over again...until they were home.

Imagine years later. The son is in "therapy" talking about all the damage that was caused from this storm. All the anger and bitterness he holds because his dad let him experience the turmoil of that storm. The dad, would be crushed...because those moments were some of the most intimate, close memories he holds with his son. Those memories are what grew and deepened their relationship as father and child...the trust the child has in his father.

See, sometimes, we look at the storms in our life and say "If there was really a God, and if He really loved me, I wouldn't be going through this right now" and God is saying, "Please trust me, child. I know the way home, and I love you. I am going to make sure you make it home safe...I LOVE you" And we, sometimes look back at these situations in anger at God...but if we cry out to Him instead and let him respond as a loving father to our cries, these could be the moments that we remember as the most important in building our relationship with God. What we see as a storm...what our REALITY is today, is different from our Dad's...just like the son in the story... he couldn't see anything besides the storm...but his father heard his cry, comforted him, and got him home safely. How much more will Abba Father for us?? Sometimes we need to be reminded to trust that our Dad....knows the way home, even if we don't.