I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber. (Psalm 121: 1-3 NIV)
As I tried to fall back asleep, my phone binged. Normally, I heard no calls or messages until after 7 am. My curiosity propelled me from my bed.
A weather alert proclaimed a severe thunderstorm warning for my area. At least it wasn’t a tornado warning like earlier in the week.
Since I was up, I fixed a cup of tea and headed outside. An ebony cloak wrapped my patio so I could see nothing beyond the screen. Wind rustled trees as I wrote in my gratitude journal. While I read my daily devotionals, lightning flashed closer and closer.
Wind rushed through my patio. Rain pelted the roof and dripped down the screens. Thunder rumbled. Another weather alert said there were no longer storms in my area.
My eyes and ears disagreed.
Even though I enjoy sitting on my patio on rainy days, staying during thunder and lightning probably wasn’t a great idea.
With a couple of trips to transfer my tea, books, journal and phone, I settled down on the couch in my living room. Not my favorite spot to write, read and pray but safe and secure.
While the storm continued, I checked the weather channel on my phone. It showed thunderstorms over my town and a tornado watch for five more hours. How could my alert be so different from the weather channel?
Rain slowed. Rolling thunder and flashes of light moved away. A gray dawn crept across the lake.
Weather alarms and my own limited observations clashed. Even though I tried to find a clear answer, none came.
Likewise, I would love to have a definite answer to the end of the pandemic. When will I be able to visit my family? Go out to lunch with friends? Invite people into my home? However, just as I couldn’t see into the dark morning, I can’t see into the future. No one else can either. Predictions can be made but those don’t always agree.
God sees the whole picture when I only see a tiny slice. It is easy to worry about what is coming but better to trust that God has it under control.
Lord, give us peace as we endure the pandemic. Help us trust you as our protector. Amen
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