in the storm

I was dreaming about a puppy.

Actually.  And it was a tiny, adorable chocolate lab that my dad had brought home after work.  We named it Yukon Cornelius, even though it wasn't a Golden Retriever (the true plan in the Thompson house right now in our search for a new dog).  Little chocolate lab Yukon was sitting on my lap and I was trying to get the Wii to work, and in a strange combination of the past day's events, Steve Job's resignation altered our Wii's ability to function properly and so I hopped into my little electric motor Jeep, Yukon in tow, and away we went to fix the Wii. But the battery was dying on my "car" so I had to stop at the charging station, but again, Steve Job's resignation altered the charging station's ability to properly charge my toy Jeep's battery, so I went to plug it in again and

BOOM.

My eyes opened and the strobe-lit sky filled my room with the white glow of lightening in fast, must-squint-to-see bursts.  There was no echo of thunder, for the storm was directly over us and the thunder and lightening fought for attention as they boomed and flashed together over and over and over again.

I saw out my northern window a bolt of lightening, big and bright as ever, go right down to the ground in the field next to our house.  Okay God, that's pretty incredible - but truth is, that's a bit close to the house, and I'd really like to not die right now.  I wasn't "afraid" - but certainly filled with a healthy fear and respect for the power God has put in the sky.

And it got me thinking - wow.  Powerful. Mighty. Loud. Bright. Wet. Refreshing. Terrifying. Dangerous. Necessary.  And this was just one storm, in the midst of all God's Creation - so powerful.  God was flexing his muscles in the middle of the night to not-so-subtly remind me that He is in control.  And so with a healthy fear of the storm and a respectful fear of my God, I sat at my window and let His peace wash over me like the rain on the earth outside.

The words of a song I hear on the radio all the time spoke to me yesterday on the way home from work, but like the words of Shepherd clicking with Reagan at the end of tour, these words finally resounded in my heart:

"Be strong in the Lord, never give up hope.  You're going to do great things, I already know! God's got His hand on you so don't live life in fear.  Forgive and forget, but don't forget why you're here!  Take this time and pray, and thank God for each day."

Ahhh.  God is in control.  There are desires that He has placed in my heart - and they are growing, developing, my heart is heavy with a longing to be back overseas working with the orphaned and abandoned.  I would get on a plane today if I could.  But I'm not ready yet.  This is the time where I take this time and pray, and thank God for each day.  God is powerful.  He is in the storm.  God ordained the storm to water the earth, to water my soul. He is taking this time in my life to prepare me for what He has planned.  He's in control - so here, in Him, I will wait.

"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty; but it shall accomplish that which I purpose; and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills before you will break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:6-13