“You have been…..a shelter from the storm”
Isaiah 25:4
I had been speaking at a conference in Dayton, Ohio. Thankfully, Reid had gone with me. When the conference ended mid-afternoon, we began the drive home to Amherst. We were not quite half-way when an unexpected snowstorm blew in. It quickly turned into a full-blown blizzard. Creeping down the interstate, we hit a patch of black ice that sent our vehicle spinning several times into the median. Reid was able to get us back onto the eastbound lanes, so we could cautiously inch down the highway. That was our wake-up call. We needed to find a place to stop for the night, and find it quickly. The next exit had a sign that announced one hotel, so we pulled off. Our lodging turned out to be a brand new inn with suites that had only been open one week. The staff was wonderful, giving every weary traveler who turned in a generous discount because of the weather. The suites were lovely and included a kitchen and fireplace. The staff even ordered pizza delivered for all of us. What a beautiful place to rest from the fierce blinding snow and bitter cold.
At any point, life can bring an unexpected blizzard. A cold merciless trial. A harsh
storm filled with difficult circumstances, that can send us spinning unmercifully into a median of unwanted conditions. The storm howls. The unwanted ice and snow beat against our face. Then suddenly, when we least expect it, God sends us a respite. A time of rest and relief. A space in which we can feel the warmth of his love. It might be an arm around us from a loved one or friend. It might be some good news we have been waiting to hear. It might simply be a quiet afternoon reading a book in front of the fireplace. Whatever form it takes, we know that it has come from God’s mercy and grace. As we bask in his goodness, we sense refreshment. And we find the strength to brush off the bitterness of the storm and finish our journey. Because our God knows just what we need and when we need it, we can know that in the worse storms life brings God will make a way for us to be refreshed and renewed by his great love.
So next time you’re traveling down the highway of life and a sudden unwanted blizzard of difficult conditions sends you spinning out of control, keep trusting the One who is the shelter in the storm. Your inn of respite may be at the next exit.
Darlene