“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Psalm 46:1

 

You’ve got to love Texas weather. It’s a place that’s big enough to have all four seasons in the same state. And if you don’t like the weather, just wait a couple hours because it will change completely. I bring this up because we were caught in the first North Texas tornado of the year.

 

My family and I were staying in a Dallas hotel when the news started saying that a tornado was touching down just southwest of us. It was heading straight in our direction, so we get the kids and head to the only interior room we had, the bathroom. The kids hunker down in the tub, while my wife Monica and I are on the floor and listening to the TV in the background. The lights go off. The only sounds were the rain, wind and hail outside, but also my kids and wife. They were all praying. At that point, amidst all of the commotion, I was washed over with a sense of peace from God. I knew that when situations go too far out of our hands, nothing is ever out of God’s hands. On my phone, I pulled up my go-to Psalm in tough times, Psalm 46. It ends with the lines saying to “Be still and know I am God,” and that our Lord is with us always. It was kind of perfect that the Word of God was the only light on in that dark room for a while. I’m happy to say that the tornado passed without causing too much damage, the storm broke up, and we all were safe. Not all tornado stories end on a good note, but ours did that day. I know it wasn’t from anything I did, but what God did.

 

Life has many good times, but it does have its share of trouble as well. God has a plan and I promise that it’s better than what you and I could come up with. That’s hard to think about when there is sickness, wars, and death all around us. The truth is that we cannot see the big picture the way God does, so we have to go on faith; and it’s those trials and troubles that test our faith daily to see how real it is.

 

Steel only gets hardened when the fire is really hot. I knew my parents loved each other, but I only saw true and complete love when my mom got sick with cancer and my dad stayed at her bedside. She took her last breath and I saw this old man suddenly jump to his feet and rush to kiss his beloved bride one last time. That was a man of steel, hardened and tempered in the fires of life.

 

I’m crying as I’m saying this, because I miss my parents so much. I’m not sure of God’s plan most of the time, but I am sure that I love the Lord as much as I can and that He’s got us safe in His arms. I believe in Jesus Christ; His life, death, burial, and resurrection. I know without a doubt where I’m going when I die, not because I think I’m all holy and stuff, but because of Jesus and His finished work on the cross. That’s where my whole faith is. Jesus Christ and nowhere else.

 

There will always be tough times. The storms of life are inevitable, so you’d better know where to turn. And when things get so bad that you would like to pray but don’t know what to say, “Help Jesus, Help” will always work. Better yet, speak God’s promises back to Him straight from the Bible. He says that He will be our ever present help in trouble. He is our refuge and He is always with us. Believe in the Lord, our rock and our eternal salvation.

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH