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Stormy Weather

Read Mark 4:35-41

[The disciples] asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

-Mark 4:41 (NIV)

WHILE we were on holiday at the coast with my parents, rain and strong winds forced us to stay indoors for several days. Our young son was not responding well to the inactivity, so I took him to the beach. The roar of the wind and waves made talking difficult. Our raincoats flapped noisily around our ears. Despite all this, our walk was most stimulating; we returned home refreshed, though glad to be out of those unpleasant conditions.

As I reflected on this experience, I made a discovery: if I go to the beach only on good days, I miss much. To know the beach well, I must also experience it on unpleasant days too. The blustery and rainy conditions gave me a different perspective.

A similar truth applies to my faith. If I am conscious of God’s presence only when life is calm and sunny, then I fail to discover a different side of God when life becomes unpleasant. I must be prepared to trust God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences of my life. The heavy-weather days give me a fresh perspective on the grace of God, and I now find I feel God’s presence even more strongly on both good and bad days.

Douglas Godfrey Russell (Eastern Cape, South Africa)

Prayer

Grant us wisdom, O Lord, to discover fresh perspectives on your grace, especially in unpleasant times. Amen.

Thought for the Day

Unpleasant days can show us fresh truths about God.

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