My daughters and I have been on an adventure.
We’ve spent five days in New York City.
We’ve worshipped on Sunday morning with new friends in Brooklyn and visited Timothy Keller’s church in the evening.
We’ve learned lots at a Christian bloggers’ conference.
We attended a friend’s wedding.
Yesterday was the last day of our trip — worshipping with more brothers and sisters in Pennsylvania and sharing dinner with new friends in a barn filled with Christmas lights and decorations.
We were ready to head head home to Oregon — until the airlines cancelled our flight.
So…here we stay, learning to accept the blessings of hospitality (and thanking God we’re not stranded in the Philadelphia airport), listening to the rain and wind against the window, watching God’s power on display in His hurricane.
We were pretty insulated from outside news at the bloggers’ conference. When we finally woke up to the news going on outside the Hilton Hotel — news of the approaching “superstorm” — one of the ladies led the group in prayer. She praised God and acknowledged that He has the power to completely dissolve a storm if He wants to. All He has to do is say the word and the storm would cease. He’s done it. He could do it again if He chose to.
It was a good reminder. Everything that comes into our lives is part of God’s plan. If it’s in our lives, it’s because He has allowed it to be. We can give Him thanks when He stills the storms of life, but we can also give Him thanks when He sends the storms, knowing that He has ordained those storms. If they weren’t good for us, if they wouldn’t help us grow, if they weren’t for His glory, He would say the word and they’d be gone. If they’re still here, then so is He, and He will see us through them.
“Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word…” (Psalm 148:8).
(Photos by Susannah)
(I fell in love with the people of New York City while we were there. So many people, all made in the image of their Creator. Let’s not forget to pray for them and the many other people who have been affected by this storm.)
Starting Thursday! “30 Days of Bible Study for Busy, Busy Mamas”, daily bite-sized activities to help you study the third chapter of Colossians.
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