 |
| Yikes! |
We headed out for our evening walk last night, enjoying way
warmer temperatures, and immediately noticed a looming purplely-gray, towering
thunder cloud. (Can summer really be so far off?) Ten minutes into our
constitutional, another cloud caught our eyes – a massive wall of white, startling in proportions. What I had never seen so clearly as I
beheld its magnitude* was horizontal lightening, rapid and erratic.
Whoa – about face!
– and we headed home.
In Dallas, because it’s so flat, we can see storms coming
that might be obscured if we were in Maryland. We could tell its direction but
not where it would hit. Who could
say if or when this phenomenon would blow over us? We passed another walker,
also enjoying the warmer weather, but with earphones connected, she was blissfully
unaware of what was so dramatically illuminated against the horizon. We caught her attention and pointed out
the potential danger. She, too, then quickened her pace home.
That monster cloud so reflected how I feel about these crazy
times in which we live! The 24/7 news cycles capture terrifying images of
danger, suffering and looming ruin: Russian troops massing on Ukraine’s border,
a downed jet-liner, now missing for weeks, Ebola outbreaks in Canada as well as
Africa, murderous mudslides in Washington state, and interminable
political gridlock in Washington DC. (Matthew
24:5-8)
And yes, I know I’ve written a bunch about the how scary
these days seem to me.
Fifty years ago – I thought firmly believed we could and
would solve problems – and the more we have advanced, it seems the farther back
we have fallen. In Bible study, we have been delving into Moses’ life and times
– and the marvel of seeing mankind advancing and falling back is OH so old.
15 But Israel[a]
soon became fat and unruly;
the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!
Then they abandoned the God who had made them;
they made light of the Rock of their salvation. 16 They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods;
they provoked his fury with detestable deeds. 17 They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God,
to gods they had not known before,
to new gods only recently arrived,
to gods their ancestors had never feared. 18 You neglected the Rock who had fathered you;
you forgot the God who had given you birth.
the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!
Then they abandoned the God who had made them;
they made light of the Rock of their salvation. 16 They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods;
they provoked his fury with detestable deeds. 17 They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God,
to gods they had not known before,
to new gods only recently arrived,
to gods their ancestors had never feared. 18 You neglected the Rock who had fathered you;
you forgot the God who had given you birth.
~Deuteronomy 32:15-18 (NLT)
Doug walked back quickly – but I wanted to record the moment for I had never seen
anything like this! And I stand in awe of the God who was a cloud and pillar of
light to His people – and still is. (Isaiah 65)
And this storm finally hit north and east of us.
2 comments:
Wow! That would scare me and I don't live where storms like that was promising hit. I have to keep reminding myself in this day and age of what appears to be increasing troubles, that, like you said, mankind has been here before---just the specifics vary. Praise God that His Sovereign, redemptive plan marches on and He will accomplish His purposes. He is indeed our Rock to flee to.
Blessings,
Joyce
UPDATE: According to NYT Ebola was ruled out but no firm diagnosis in Canadian scare:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/health/ebola-like-symptoms-in-canada-may-be-a-false-alarm.html?_r=0
Post a Comment