“Mom, Mom, a tornado just ripped through our yard busting out windows and tearing off part of the porch. The worst part is I don’t know where Ginny is. She won’t answer her phone. She may be driving into the storm.”

The weather report had predicted a strong chance of thunder storms with possible tornadoes for our area with good weather following. Such warnings are usually no cause for alarm in our area. We listened for how many days of good weather we could expect that week. At the coast, two and one half hours away from home, there was nothing to alert me to the trouble our home area was experiencing until I answered our son’s phone call.

The night Jesus was betrayed He warned His disciples “This very night you will all fall away on account of me…but after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” The disciples argued with Jesus. Nothing would shake their faith in or loyalty to Him.

He then took them to Gethsemane and told them to “Pray that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:39). After going some distance away to pray alone, He returned to find the disciples sleeping. He repeated His warning to prepare through prayer. They immediately fell back asleep.

Jesus and the disciples were about to face the biggest storm of their lives. Jesus prepared Himself through prayer and gained the strength, perspective and motivation to triumph. The disciples failed to prepare and equally failed at standing with Jesus that night.

The disciples could not understand Jesus’ warning. I am sure they believed Him, but just couldn’t grasp what was about to happen. I believed my son’s words but responded with “Are you kidding?” Not because I thought he was joking, but because it seemed so unreal.

Preparing for the crucifixion did not stop it, rather it strengthened Jesus to meet it. There was nothing we could do to stop the tornado from ravaging our yard, but daily walking with God supplies the strength and perspective to face unwanted challenges.

After the cross came the resurrection. After our storm came beautiful weather and friends with a chain saw, dump truck and Bobcat. God showed His mercy and grace for us all at Calvary. He showed mercy and grace to us personally by sparing our lives and bringing good friends to rescue us in the cleanup. (Ginny told her dad, “I can’t believe what you all accomplished!” Our angels were all past sixty.)

God knows when the storms of life will hit. Whether we hear warnings or miss them, doesn’t it make sense to sit and pray for strength to face the unexpected challenges that enter every life? What storms are you facing? Take time to bring your concerns to your Father. He knows how to support you through the storm and its aftermath.

Blessings,

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™   Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.