At this stage in life, I consider myself blessed. From an early age, I’ve had opportunities to travel throughout the United States. From the scenic views of Arcadia National Park in Maine to the palm trees of Miami Beach, these trips have sketched wonderful memories in my mind. As I have grown older, I have gone from the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia all the way to southern California to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Whenever you travel a lot, you’re exposed to different types of climate and weather phenomena. Throughout my half century on earth, I’ve survived blizzards, earthquakes, hurricanes, northeasters and tornadoes. One of my first brushes with a natural disaster occurred while on vacation as a child.
For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Corinthians 5:1.
One summer in Maine, my two sisters and I got stuck in a hail storm, running for cover with our hand over our heads. The cabin my parents rented shook, the lights went out and hail continue to crash upon the roof. An hour later, we went out to check for damage. Apparently, a water spout crossed the lake and took out a neighbor’s house. Until today, I was one of the lucky ones, unaffected by nature’s wrath. As I was running to my car to escape the rain, I noticed a few shingles laying in my front yard. Looking back, an entire section of my sliding above my front door was ripped off and missing, exposing 2 pieces of plywood. With another inch of rain expected tonight, only God knows what the total damage will be.
For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)—not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit), but rather that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection], 2 Corinthians 5:4.
If this would have happened at any other time in my life, I would have been angry, frustrated and stressed out about the cost of this damage. Yet, my first thought was, “I guess it was my time to tackle adversity.” A few years ago a micro burst picked up our trampoline, struck two fences and was thrown into a neighbor’s yard, but our house was spared. Perspective has a way of revealing what matters, my wife and children are fine. Thus, while I’ll have to dig into savings to quickly restore this damage, this nuisance will soon past. Therefore, if the next weather system comes crashing through your front door, remember to praise God as you go through this spiritual storm.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 