Please visit our new blog , notaccidentlly.blogspot.com

Please visit our new blog , notaccidentlly.blogspot.com
As we sat and talked we were reminded of how many times God has stepped into our lives and provided a miracle. This blog will be the opportunity for us to write these down for the next generation, and hopefully inspire you in your walk with God. Come by every Tuesday for a new post.

Monday, August 1, 2011

In The Storm

Life is filled with opportunities to learn about faith.

 As we live this messy thing called life we must look at experiences and find the lesson that God intends to teach.  I cannot explain why bad things happen to good people and why some prayer requests seem to go unanswered. 


We experienced a great loss in our church family recently.  A precious 6 year old girl, Annie, died after a 10 month battle with a rare brain cancer.  She, her parents and her sister fought hard against the disease that took her little body.  The funeral was such a testimony of love and the compassion of Christ.  This family was shaken but not defeated.  You may ask why I’m bringing this up - - - it may seem insignificant the stories shared through our blog – not accidentally and you may question what difference does it make if God seemingly answers prayers about a pair of capris and a dress for me when a child dies - - -
Well, the only answer I have is – what do good people do when bad things happen?  Our pastor addressed our church with this statement the Sunday after the funeral service and I felt a rush of peace.  Satan is roaming this earth striking down people – how do we handle these situations in our daily lives? That is the question. 

I can’t explain life or death, happiness or agony – however, I can say this; God is the ONLY answer for our pain or suffering and he is the only one that can wipe our tears and fill our lives with joy again.

I want to share an experience in my life; not accidentally!
My sister Ann & I were traveling to see our 81 year old aunt get married!  Our 83 year old mother was the maid of honor – it was early May 2010. 

The drive to West Plains, MO from our home in Kansas City, KS is about 5 hours.  We left after work and started the trip listening to K-Love (Christian radio!!).  We were singing along on the Cable channel and didn’t notice the terrible weather rolling in.  


The sky became very dark and clouds were tumbling above us.  The storm was all around us.  The lightening seemed to be on every side – we were frightened.  We had just passed through Clinton, MO which is only about 1 ½ hours into the 5 hour trip ahead.  We turned on a local radio station just in time to hear the tornado warning – the storm was in Clinton, MO and heading south.  The storm was literally just behind us.  We contemplated pulling off the road and waiting out the storm but agreed maybe we should keep going.  The clouds were yellow-green and everything seemed still outside our windows.  My car has a sun roof and we could see the rolling sky above the car.  Honestly, it looked like we were in the eye of the storm – we could see the threatening weather all around us.  We kept driving.  We went through Collins, MO and then Springfield, MO.  Not a drop of rain on our car!  The radio kept warning of strong winds, hail, torrential rain and tornado clouds – we kept driving.  We turned east from Springfield, MO and headed down 60 Highway – the radio now warned of threatening weather heading toward AVA, MO and West Plains, MO.  The storm was following us and leading us– still not a drop of rain on our car.  We could see the wind, rain and exploding clouds all around us; but we were in the calm of the storm.  We talked about the situation and thought maybe this was how Moses felt crossing the river on dry land with the children of Israel!  We called our mother to give an update on our location and they were taking cover in the basement – tornadoes were touching down all around them – hail the size of quarters had hit just west of them.  We were headed right for it.  Ann & I prayed for safety and wisdom – should we keep going or stop for cover?  After a few minutes we decided that God had brought us this far and we needed to trust him for safe travel.  Even in the darkest night, the roughest storm can be an opportunity for us to draw strength and trust in the safety of his arms.  We made it safe and sound to moms that night and shared our experience with everyone at the wedding.  It was a beautiful ceremony and we were thankful to have shared that day with Ruby and John. 

Perhaps the stories that we share on this blog seem insignificant or trivial to some.  

I feel that each experience of life gives us an opportunity to witness the love of Christ in our hearts.

Annie’s parents lifted our hearts at the funeral of their little one.  What a testimony of love and trust – I know that bad things do happen to good people and perhaps the real purpose of life is to learn how to trust even through the storms.
 Peace be with you all even if you are in the middle of your own storm today. Lori

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7 comments:

  1. Stopping by after seeing your post on Time-Warp Wife blog.

    It's always so tragic to hear of a child passing. I'll be praying for her family.

    I found it ironic that you mentioned living in Kansas City, Kansas and traveling towards Ava, Mo and West Plains, Mo. I live in Kansas City, Kansas and my mom was born and raised in Ava, Missouri. Most people have never heard of it!

    Thank you for sharing such a wonderful post.

    Monica @ theatypicalhousewife.com

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  2. Oh..that poor little girl. I will be praying for Annie's family.
    You mentioned some might find our stories insignificant. I feel if just one person is blessed by something I write then I am happy.

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  3. God is the answer. You are right. In pain, in joy--always the answer.

    Praying for those touched by Annie's life.

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  4. Thank you for sharing about the storm. It is nice to know that no matter what winds blow into our lives, God commands the winds and the sea...and everything!

    Sad to hear about the little girl. It is hard for parents to go through the loss of a child...probably the hardest thing they will ever go through. I pray God will comfort them.

    Charlotte

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  5. wow! you had a lot of courage. glad you made it through the storm safely. =]

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  6. This is such a beautiful post.. I seem to be reading blogs that have the same message. I know it is God, guiding my hand.. linking me to His words that He is sharing through His people. I thank you. I hear Him.. I hear His message. With Him, I will make it through this storm.

    Blessings,
    Misty

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  7. Wow, what an inspiring story. No, it was not a coincidence, and I'm glad you shared it with us.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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