I love a good storm. Not the destructive ones, of course, but just a good old thunder rumbling one with torrents of rain that last a short time. (In the south we call them “frog chokers”.) Afterwards, the air smells so fresh and clean, like the earth had a nice bath. It’s relaxing to hear the raindrops falling hard against the thirsty ground. But thunderstorms and plane rides don’t go well together and are anything but relaxing.
This past week, as I waited at the gate to get back to Atlanta after a wonderful time visiting my Virginia family, I watched the radar for our destination. Bright reds and yellows showed up with a scary forecast of severe storms arriving the same time as when we were scheduled to land. I was certain that our flight would be delayed. But boarding began and I wondered if we all were going to sit on the tarmac for hours. I watched the flight attendants working as if we were really going to take off. Then the pilot’s voice came over the loud speaker telling us what I already knew. “Ladies and gentlemen, a line of severe storms is making its way into the Atlanta area about the time we are landing. We’ll do everything we can to get you there.” It was an odd thing to say, I thought. My heart rate increased so I reached for my rosary which always calms me.
We took off with a cloudless azure sky but why were we having turbulence already? (Can you tell yet that I don’t like to fly?) The beads slipped through my fingers at a rapid pace. As I prayed, the thought came to me that God had held back the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites so they could pass safely to the other side. Couldn’t He then hold back the storms so we could land and get home safely? Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever the Scriptures say, so I began to see God’s mighty Hand hold back that line of damaging torrential rain and wind. I began to relax and continue my prayers. At one point, as the plane shook and the luggage compartments groaned and threatened to spill their contents, I recalled Jesus calming the storm while He was on the boat with His terrified apostles who thought they were all going to perish. He simply said, “Be still” and the winds obeyed Him. I placed my hand on the tiny window and said those same words in faith. I tell you honestly, the rest of the ride was smooth. Landing was easy and the sky was just cloudy but definitely ominous in the distance.
There was still an hour of driving to get home and Atlanta traffic snarls at one drop of rain. Could we make it? While John drove, I kept checking the radar. (I’m a Weather Channel geek.) Wherever we went, there was a clearing. Rain was all around us on all sides but we were in the clear all the way home. It was incredible!
God always amazes me! I learned that day that faith, the size of a tiny mustard seed, can not only move mountains as it says in Matthew’s gospel, it can also move storms! I felt God’s love and care for us as He guided us safely through the air, on the roads and back home.
I tell this story to not only encourage you when you pray, but also as a reminder to myself. It’s been a rough couple of years for me personally with my health and other family issues. Even though I knew God was with me, it was hard to feel His presence. I knew He heard my many cries but it’s so hard to wait patiently for answers and to understand His ways.
Everyone I know is carrying a cross, with some carrying very heavy ones, and let’s face it, life can truly be a valley of tears, as it says in the beautiful prayer, “Hail Holy Queen.“ This simple flight experience let me know that God is definitely and truly present, that He hears all my heartfelt prayers and knows everything going on in my life.
In today’s world, there are many storms around us and our loved ones. Sometimes they pass quickly or sometimes it feels like a whirlwind of a tornado for long periods of time. In either case, I know He is the One who keeps me grounded in turbulent times, who strengthens me in my weakness, who gives me courage when I feel afraid, who shines His light when the dark clouds approach. I am just simply grateful for that tiny seed of faith that sustains me when scary storms in my life are in the forecast.
48Megan Hogan O'Kane, Mary Welch Rogers and 46 others
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