The Lee of the Storm

radar image of isaac storm over arkansasLast week, my family and I monitored the news channels as we watched Hurricane Isaac crawl north across Louisiana, leaving flooding and wind destruction in its wake.

This wasn’t our first time preparing for a storm to hit.  Living in rural Arkansas, we frequently deal with power outages, sometimes lasting several days.

I got the generator out and tested it.  We bought extra fuel and extra food.  We did all we could to minimize potential wind damage by moving things inside, or securing objects likely to be blown around.

Then we went about our business while waiting for the storm to hit.  Except…it never really hit…or at least not the violent storm we were expecting…

The eye of Isaac, now reduced to tropical depression status, ran straight up the center of Arkansas.  We watched the news as people in Eastern Arkansas dealt with strong winds and torrential rain.

However, the same counter-clockwise rotation that hammered regions east of the eye with strong winds and rain carried up from the gulf, provided regions west of the eye with mild winds and soft rain depleted of strength and ferocity.

While Eastern Arkansas dealt with a vicious storm, Western Arkansas enjoyed two full days of much-needed gentle rain.

I almost felt guilty thanking God for the blessing of much-needed rain, knowing the same storm dished out devastation to nearby regions.

I wonder if this is, perhaps, a brief glimpse of how the ancient Israelites may have felt, celebrating their new freedom as their Egyptian neighbors mourned the loss of their first-born children.

Yet, that is the way of life’s storms isn’t it?  Devastation and blessing unexpectedly descending simultaneously…though the blessing is often difficult to see at the time.

And, for the believer in Christ, we have this promise, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are  called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)…all things…including devastating storms of life…

Your thoughts?

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