Alli Bucher
Spring is making its way back to Cincinnati, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that spring is never a solo traveler. Her travel companions will undoubtedly include budding flowers, rising temperatures, and steady rainfall. They’ll all arrive sloppily, unpacking their suitcases without thought, tossing their things about, and making themselves right at home for their annual stay. They’re a welcome bunch though, because, after all, April showers bring May flowers. But April showers also bring spring storms.
Don’t get me wrong, I love rain, as inconvenient as it can be sometimes. Even a gentle rumble of thunder is welcome. But I don’t really care for storms, especially the kind with ground shaking thunder, strobe light lighting, and rain that pounds on the windows. For me, spring becomes a season of basement-dwelling, praying the power stays on and storm sirens stay off.
A few months ago, a particularly strong storm was headed to the area and set to arrive at the time I was going to be headed home from work. At that time, I had about a 40-minute commute home. I sat at my desk and anxiously watched the radar, trying to calculate what time I’d have to leave in to beat the storm to my house – I’d rather dwell in my own basement than the basement at work, after all.
I decided to head out early and figured I could just barely make it. But as I headed west towards home, the storm moved east, and it moved much faster than I anticipated. As I cruised down the highway, I could see storm clouds rolling in. They were dark and intimidating, spitting rain as I drove towards them.
Thunder rattled the ground and lightning flashed violently. The more ground I covered, the heavier the rain became, forcing my windshield wipers and hazard lights to work overtime. As the storm rolled in over me, my visibility lessened significantly and I couldn’t take the risk of driving anymore. So I pulled over and took shelter under an overpass alongside my fellow commuters.
We sat there and waited out the storm together, the wind shaking cars with its force. I could have sworn I’d heard storm sirens far off in the background. I tried not to focus on the storm, but I couldn’t help but think, “How long is this going to last? I just want to be home”. I prayed. And then I reprimanded myself for trying to beat the storm in the first place. After all, who drives into an oncoming storm?
But it wasn’t a new experience. We all experience storms in our lives. Not just the rain-filled kind, but the personal storms we all battle. Health problems. Struggling relationships. Financial stress. No sooner than we get through one squall do we see another forming on the horizon. But we need not be anxious, because just like that overpass sheltered me from the elements, God is standing ready to do the same.
Just as scripture says in Psalms 46:1, “God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” He is ready for us. Not ready to hand us an umbrella and wish us well on our journey, he’s ready to be our shelter during troubled times, firm and secure, sheltering us from whatever may come our way. We still must weather the storm, but God promises to be with us as we do so.
We were never promised an easy life. Jesus tells his disciples in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble.” It’s one of my favorite verses simply because Jesus didn’t speak in a parable, as He so often did (although, I do love a good parable) but rather, he was extremely direct. He didn’t say you might have trouble. He said, “you will have trouble.” You will face trials. You will face tribulations. You will face storms. But take a look at the full verse:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Jesus assures us that in him we can find peace because he has overcome the world. So the next time a brooding storm looms in the distance, remember that it’s not the storm that defines us, but how we respond to it. We can choose to put on our poncho and trudge through on our own, or we can face it head-on by leaning into our faith and finding comfort in Jesus’ promise of peace.
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