Waiting in the Storm
A couple weeks ago, as Hurricane Idalia churned toward the west coast of the Florida peninsula, weather forecasters made clear the threat this storm carried for residents in its path. We heard and read about the predicted path of the storm in the days leading up to its landfall, including the name of the town where some of my relatives live. It would hit hard there and cause significant damage. I began praying for the safety of the people and their towns, both during and after the storm.
Idalia made landfall early in the morning. News coverage showed images of the storm damage to homes, to property, to businesses, to livelihoods. Knowing my family could be without electricity, I kept praying but didn’t reach out to check on them until that evening. The report I got made me smile. “No damage and the power is back on. I love AC!” I thanked them and God for the good report and then got another message. “It’s always good, because He is good!”
I learned more of the story later. Around 5 am, they made a pot of coffee. Right after the coffee finished brewing, the power went out. They knew it was time to sit, coffee in hand, and wait. The storm rolled over them, as predicted, and the temperature and humidity of a Florida summer pressed in on them. Like many others, they had generators to provide some relief in the short term. More importantly, they had hope as they waited.
God often calls us to wait. We see many times in scripture when He tells His people to wait. Wait for Him to bring victory in battles. Wait for His deliverance from personal trials. Wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Wait for His return. He tells us to wait too. Wait for answers. Wait for different timing. Wait for others. Wait for the storm to pass.
Waiting is part of storms, in weather and in life. My prayer is that we would wait with hope and remember to thank God for waiting with us. Regardless of the outcome, I want to remember to say, “It’s always good, because He is good!”