Didn’t See That Coming

A couple of months ago I was home trying to gather up the motivation to leave the house to go buy a gift for a friend’s baby shower. It was a very hot and humid 38 degrees and the thought of going out in the sweltering heat was anything but enticing. But the baby shower was the following day and so I had no choice but to go. The news was playing on TV and I happened to catch a glimpse of the weather forecast. They were calling for severe thunderstorms in my area. I looked outside my window at the clear blue skies and I scoffed at the report: “They are wrong! Again!”

I got into my car –which by then was a furnace and drove to the store. I left all my windows down to let the pent-up heat escape.It took me about 10 minutes to select the gift. As I approached the cashiers at front of the store, I sensed that something was up. People were  huddled together and there was an eerie darkness that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. You know something serious or incredible has happened when you see strangers start to talk to one another. I looked outside and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The skies were dark and angry and the rain was coming down in bucketfuls. It was the most intense rain storm I’d ever witnessed. I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around what took place in the 10 minutes I was in the store. How did sunny blue skies turn into torrents of Noah-times proportions? Flood waters were even beginning to rise! All the shoppers were unprepared, obviously. So we all stood near the exit clutching on to our purchases with no one daring to venture outside to face the “freak storm”.

I suddenly remembered that all my car windows were down and was faced with a dilemma! I could either let the car fill up with water, or I could brave the storm and heroically save Betsy’s interior from water damage. I chose the latter. I water-proofed my gift as best as I could and made a mad dash to the car which couldn’t have been more than 10 meters away. By the time I got into the car I was drenched to the skin – it didn’t help either that my seats were water-logged. I spent the next little while trying to dry out the interior with tissues – it was a losing battle and I quickly abandoned the exercise. Just as I was about to pull out of the parking spot to head home, the rain stopped just as suddenly as it had started. It was sunny again! If I wasn’t soaked to the bone I would’ve thought I dreamt up the whole thing.

Relief was short-lived however and the rain started up again. It was then that I remembered that my husband was out walking. I called him to ask if he was caught in the rain. He said “no, all I see here is clear skies”. I said to him, “well, I am about a 7 minute drive from you and it’s pouring like crazy. I can come pick you up.” “No, it’s ok. It’s not raining, I’ll just finish my walk.” “You sure you don’t want a ride?” “Yea I’m sure.”  Although I knew what was heading his way, I decided to respect his wishes.

By the time I got to my driveway, the rain was extremely heavy – but this time around I knew that it was probably just a passing cloud and so I sat in the car to wait it out. It was then that I spotted my husband approaching from a distance. The rain drops were pelting him. Ruthlessly! He was soaking wet! I was torn between having compassion on him or laughing at him because, well, I had told him so. I let immaturity win and had a good ol’ belly laugh at his expense…but at least I was kind enough not to do it in his face.

This whole saga got me thinking about two things:

One – When the storm was at its most vicious, I didn’t believe that it would ever come to an end. It overwhelmed everything around it and covered everything in a dark gloom. But as you recall, the sun shone through only a few minutes later. I don’t know what trials or hardships you are going through at the moment. Maybe you don’t see an end in sight, but may I encourage you that nothing lasts forever? There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalms 30:5). God is our refuge and our strength – an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we should not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea (Psalms 46:1-2).

The second thing the storm made me think of was the end of times. The Word of God tells us to ready ourselves for the end is near. No man knows the day nor the hour when Christ will return for His bride (the born-again believers). If how I reacted to the weatherman’s warning was the way I responded to the message of Christ’s return, I would definitely miss out on heaven. I was caught unprepared! No umbrella, windows down, no jacket… The meteorologist told me well and clear that a storm was heading my way – but I chose to believe what my eyes could see as opposed to relying on the experts who use sophisticated technology to predict weather patterns. My husband repeated my mistake. Although I told him, from personal experience, that heavy rain was coming his way, he too chose to believe what he was currently seeing.

Sometimes we fall into the folly of thinking we have lots of time to make things right with God. But tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Sometimes we want to live any which way and repent on our death-bed – but this is not a chance we may get. I think of the times when I have been in near accidents on the highway. The very last thing on my mind at that time is to ask God to forgive me. I am typically too busy freaking out.

In Matthew 24 the Bible says:   As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.

My dear friends, today I stand on the rooftops crying “Christ is coming back soon!” It may look like business as usual in your world; the skies may very well be clear and blue at the moment – but like that storm that appeared from “nowhere”, will you be ready for Christ’s return? Will I?

Prayer: Lord Jesus I want to thank you for dying for my sins. I confess you as my Lord and now repent of my sins and invite you to come into my heart. Thank you for making me the person you created me to be. I now receive you as my personal Saviour and Lord and promise to live the way your Word instructs me to. This I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

I encourage you to visit my prayer and resources page for more info and next steps.

Blessings!