35-When It Rains, It Pours

We’re right in the middle of a hot July! Humidity is high, you can see the heat in the air as you push through it to go from the comfort of your AC car to you nice cool home that has been running up your bill while you were away… but well worth it. It’s summer. It’s good. It’s busy. Life really doesn’t ever slow down unless we force it to a halt, or circumstances temporarily do that halting for us. This has been one of those days.

Jen found out some bad news that a close family friend had passed away from a cancer that has been a battleground for a number of years. It really doesn’t matter how long you know the day is coming, it’s hard. It’s painful. It makes your heart ache and causes lots of questions. To make matters worse, another close friend is going in for more testing on what might be a serious life obstacle, should she be diagnosed. These are the kind of events that you hear about, the kind that happen to other people. “Why is this happening so close to home, God?”

I think that this is a question that we have all faced at some point or another, or will face in the future. Pain is not an easy emotion to cope with. The reality of sin in this world and its impact on the God-fearing, morally upright people out there… it just doesn’t make sense for a lot of us. Even when we know the answer and find comfort in the “bigger, God-centered picture;” it can still take us for quite a loop. I did my best to comfort my wife and remind us both that, “We can trust that God knows what He’s doing.”

Today I was caught in a storm with my two boys in town. We made it to the car show for a quick ride through, then to the “little playground” as Silas calls it; but it wasn’t long before the big storm hit. Since I rode the bike and pulled them in the kid cart behind me, we were going to have to ride this one out. As the rain started to come down we packed up and walked a couple hundred feet to the large covered picnic area. “This will work,” I thought, plenty large to keep us dry until the storm passes. Wrong. We started out in the rain, heads thrown back, mouths wide open to catch the scattered drops of water in our mouths; but then moved under the roof for protections as the scattered drops turned into bullets, spraying gun fire from the sudden air assault that the clouds thought would be funny. I realized, “We’re going to get wet” then moved the kids into their mini chariot, the back mesh facing the wind that has now picked up and blown the water completely sideways and into our safe haven. As the wind blew, I crouched in front of the opening to protect them even more, my back soaking up the pelting drops and chilling my spine. I looked at Silas and Isaiah’s faces—they didn’t seem all that concerned. They observed the storm, same as me, but I don’t think they were considering how long it would last, whether they would get chilled from the cool breeze that had replaced the sweltering heat, or if they would get soaked from the ride home on wet roads, even if the rain ceased. They were safe in their chariot, dad covering the opening and they knew everything would be all right.

Being a dad is incredible. It’s moments like these that I am reminded that I can trust my Heavenly Father in the same way. He loves me far more than I love my own kids and He is covering me up with His arms and protecting me from the storm. Please pray for us as we face the storm ahead, but also be reminded that God has you nestled in His chariot, blocking the raging wind of your own storm, and is fully confident that it will pass and everything will be all right.

Thanks for the read; I have one more story from my last trip that I’ll share with you next week! Peace.

-Matt