The Blessing of Every Season: Learning how to find God in the weather...

Wow, what a whirl of weather it has been this week. But that's Tennessee for ya. ' Just a couple of days ago, I was out with the sunrise, and this was my glorious view.

And oh, how my heart sang....

"I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine."

*Casting Crowns

This morning, I woke up to fat, super beautiful snowflakes dancing everywhere.

And oh, how my heart sang...

"You could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the Earth below."

*Chris Tomlin

I wish I had gotten a picture of the beautiful rain that came through last weekend. Because my heart was singing then too...

Oh, how I love the sounds of the seasons...the sound of raindrops and the silence of snowfall. I love the freedom of summer and the coziness of winter. I love the promise of spring winds and the comforting warmth of the sun setting earlier in the fall. I love rolling thunder and wondrous clear sunrises. I love early mornings and long summer nights.

Some of that love comes naturally because of the good memories attached to each season, but every bit of it now is directly connected to how God has revealed Himself to me through creation in seasons that felt so cold and impossible. It was in those seasons that I learned to look for God in everything and praise Him for His presence in the middle.

---

There was one day...in fact, it was exactly 9 years ago today, February 20, 2016...when I needed help. I was so desperate and alone, and there was no way that I would be able to do the task in front of me. When a new friend...who did not know much about me heard my cry and showed up with her husband to tell me that I did not need to worry, they would bring friends the next day, and all would be cared for. I was so grateful I could hardly contain myself. As they were leaving, I stepped back onto the porch, and it started raining so hard and so loud that it could not have been anything other than a message from God...

“I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.” (Is 46:4) “I am the LORD thy God. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Ps 81:10).

So, this girl who still weighed close to 300 lbs, who was less than a year out from an overdose...who had spent such a long season running from the God of all creation...This girl who in that moment began to feel more free and seen than she had in a very long time...Sat down on the porch with rain pouring all over her, and opened her arms so wide and oh, how I began to sing....

"Bring me joy bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours, regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering, Your destiny

So tell me, what's a little rain

So I pray

Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty."

*Mercyme

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Author and artist Christopher Powers says...

“God has so designed the universe that the composition of the atmosphere anticipates the message of the gospel.”

Think about that. Since everything in and under the earth belongs to Him, why wouldn't He use everything to point to Him? We are in His hands even if we don't want to be. He is holding out the gospel of Jesus Christ, even if you don't want it. So, it's really not a matter of where God is in the middle of all that we are going through.

The question is, where are we?!

I think of God's gracious question to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, hiding after the sin of deception had been done to them, and they sinned in response. His question was, "Where are you?" He knew where they were. He didn't have to ask, but this wasn't God's attempt to shame them. It was an offering for them to come to Him and confess they had not trusted and obeyed. When they raised their voice to tell Him where they were, He listened, giving consequence that was rightfully theirs, but was also more than gracious, taking the time to make them a garment with His own hands to cover their nakedness.

This is our God...Who has not ever been undone, who has always had a plan to save us from ourselves and the evil wiles of satan and this world through Jesus Christ His Son, who always has His arms open ready to restore what the locusts have eaten, who created the heavens, the earth, and the weather to bring glory to His holy name...

This is our God, offering Himself to us!

Remember, when you are looking for Him, you will find Him. And, oh, how you will sing...

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?

No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains."

Psalm 121 MSG

"Remember that fear that took our breath away?

Faith so weak that we could barely pray

But He heard every word, every whisper

Now, those altars in the wilderness

Tell the story of His faithfulness

Never once did He fail, and He never will

This is our God, this is who He is

He loves us

This is our God, this is what He does

He saves us

He bore the cross, beat the grave

Let Heaven and Earth proclaim

This is our God, King Jesus."

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