I'll Praise You in this Storm

Lately, it's been raining here in my humble home town (city actually, but town sounded a lot better), Dumaguete. Oh, and it's not just the ordinary rain we're experiencing here. It's constant weather changes throughout the day, like it would be scorching hot at 8am, and then at 11am, it would be real cloudy, and then it will eventually rain at noon, and sometimes at night, we experience heavy thunderstorms. It kinda reminds me of a vision God gave me not too long ago, along with a great lesson from what has become my life verse.

Okay, so it was like this. I was just browsing around youtube, trying to find cool videos, when I stumbled upon a vid from a Casting Crowns concert of the song Praise You in this Storm. Mark Hall (lead vocals) told this story about the band meeting this young little girl whom was later discovered to have lung tumors. She eventually died. The miracle in this tale was that all the mother could say about her loss was that her little girl was God's gift, and that God had every right to take that precious gift away. I've had my share of great struggles and pains, and God just wanted me to know something. Here's my vision:

I was placed in a small rowboat

I was in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight

Everywhere led to nowhere

I was lost

Just when I thought things couldn't get much worse,

Storm clouds came in and turned the whole sky gray

I was terrified

I knew paddling out of the way of the storm was just useless

The rain poured down,

The wind blew hard,

The waves crashed,

Lightning flashed across the sky,

And the roar of thunder drowned out all sounds

I was just about to give up when I noticed someone

It was God!

And He was with me!

I looked at Him, and He looked right back

Things were vague as ever

He didn't seem like He was doing anything

The storm seemed to grow worse and worse

I was holding onto the boat for dear life

I then dared to ask,

"God, I know You're here

And I know You're doing something,

But what is it?"

God just looked at me

His eyes just filled with love and compassion

He said nothing

Hours passed

And the terrible storm continued

My arms were weary

And just when I was just about to let go,

The storm stopped

The sun began to shower its warm beams at the earth again

With just one swipe of God's hand,

I was instantly warm and dry

I turned around, and low and behold,

I was on land, sweet land

I then turned to thank God,

But He disappeared

Still I knew He never left

The vision ends here, and I realized what God tried to tell me. It's that He may choose to put us in either fine weather, or something a lot more challenging, or He could take away something dear and precious to us. You can ask Him a thousand questions about what He's doing, when it seems like He's not doing anything at all. But He will never leave you. Yes, He may choose to reveal to us why we're experiencing such storms, or what He's doing while we're in them when it seems like nothing's happening, but when He chooses not to reveal such reasons, it's because He wants us to know that we have our faith to count on that He's actually doing something while we're in trouble, and that He will never lead us in a situation we can't handle. He may choose to calm the storms in our lives, or He might choose to just ride 'em with us, but either way, blessed be the name of the Lord.

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord."

- Job 1:21b

Words That Just Flew Out

I know what you’ve been through

I know your pains

I know your struggles

I remember

I remember when the enemy struck a painful blow on you

I remember when you stumbled when the wind blew

I remember when you fell when the waves crashed

I remember the moments you used to kindle the fire of pain in your heart, spending it on your own self-destruction

I remember every tear you shed for I counted them

I remember your sleepless nights

I remember when you began to lose hope

I remember when darkness consumed you

But I sought you

Why?

Because you are my flock

You are my child

You are my beloved

Though the storms begin to strike,

Though the tides begin to rise,

Though the world may crumble,

I am your only shelter.

Come hide under my wings

Come feel my warmth

Come smell my scent

Come receive my love for you

Fret not when you do so.

You continue to stray

You continue to run from me

You continue to hide from me

Still I rush to find you

For my love for you is too strong

Now that I’ve found you weary,

I invite you back to come rest in me

Every wound that causes you pain, I will heal.

Every scar that reminds you of such pain, I will take away.

Every bit of sadness, I will replace with joy.

Everything in you, I will renew.

All your cries I have heard

All your prayers I have answered

You were never abandoned

You were never forsaken.

Cast your burdens on my feet.

Look to me for strength and your eagle’s wings will span and you will soar over the ruins of the past.

Come take off your old self so I can cleanse you

Come receive your new self and put it on.

I am your savior

I am your king

I am your lover

I am your friend

Now take my hand and hold it, and together we shall walk to eternity.