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Storms. Are You Ready?



Introduction

Storms. Are you ready?


2023 was well on its way when I arrived in Santa Barbara, California on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day. A California sun greeted me with a slight breeze that carried with it the fragrant scent of the Pacific Ocean that spans to the West. The ocean’s caressing salt laden air gave me assurance I was home again where I once grew up, my most favorite place on planet earth. Then the storm hit.


The “cyclone bomb” jabbed and punched incessantly with power. Much of the California coast was ravaged by high winds, torrential rain and a relentless damaging tidal surge. Rampant destruction ensued and lives were changed within hours. Walking the harbor breakwater the next morning gave evidence that this was a storm of storms.


This past week’s storm could just as well be a metaphor of life. It seems life serves up storms that just kind of come out of nowhere. Little storms, big storms and “tsunami” sized storms. They all come. They are inevitable in my estimation. I haven’t quite figured out yet how to avoid these storms, have you? I guess the key question is, if I know future storms are coming, am I prepared?


I love the old sailing saying, “A good seaman weathers the storms he cannot avoid, and avoids the storms he cannot weather.” Wisdom would whisper to us we should apply this saying to our lives.


“A good seaman weathers the storms he cannot avoid, and avoids the storms he cannot weather.”

There are storms in life we just cannot avoid. We’ve all had them and will continue to experience them. You have to decide what kind of storms fit this description; my list may be entirely different from yours. But, come they will. Crashing into our lives at the most inopportune times. (Is there ever a good time for a storm?) My walk in the harbor reminded me of the absolute need to have a healthy breakwater built around your heart and soul if you are going to have joy in your life while walking the enemy’s territory. These crushing and powerful waves cannot harm the heart/soul that has the solid and immovable Truth as a buffeting breakwater.


Then there are the stupid avoidable storms we all encounter. Poor decisions, selfish decisions, ignorant decisions, they all produce storms in our lives. You know, the “how the heck did I get myself into this mess” type of storms. Sometimes these types of storms are the most painful as our pointer finger most times is trying to place the blame on anybody but ourselves.

As we sojourn this enemy domain there are so many masquerading lies and evolving societal “norms” that are hell-bent on causing storms of every size in our lives, storms that we were never meant to encounter. These storms are experienced by such a huge portion of our culture now, we have gotten used to them and categorize them as “normal.” I wish I could tell you I am so wise that I never fall for these lies and the subsequent storms, but….I can’t. My goal is to infuse my life with enough Truth that will act as a lie detector so I can minimize the episodes of these “avoidable” storms. But if I do fall victim, I know there is a freely given source of grace, mercy and forgiveness to restore me to fullness.


Back to my opening question? Are you ready? There is a storm coming.


After almost 100 years, my father was in the midst of his last unavoidable storm. A major storm. This storm won. But with its winning blow at the end, he was liberated to the “ultimate” win. He is now walking side by side with the Master of all storms, past, present and future. You can read here about his last hours when the Master Himself came walking on the waves to Pops as the storm was striking its victorious and ending blow.



 

Rescued from the Enemy's Territory


My father’s earthly journey ended October 6, 2019, not but a few months shy of his 100th birthday. His decline came very quickly and within a span of 2 weeks he knew he was going to leave us. He was ready. The conversations we had spoken together through the written word about death and what was awaiting him were now becoming reality. There was no fear or angst in him about his impending journey into the unseen. Peace was reigning. On his last day when he was still conscious, I asked him, “Dad, are you afraid?” A strong confident answer resounded from him, “No!”


In his last hours, now totally unconscious and nonresponsive, something extraordinary happened multiple times. He would raise his too-weak-to-move arms high, open his hands wide as to reach and grab something and his non-seeing closed eyes opened wide with excitement. As he was doing this, out of his non-speaking voice a visceral groan of amazement would come with strength and clarity. Not a sound of pain nor fear but an exclamation of something glorious being seen. With his hands and arms fully outreached, he attempted to bring it to himself.



Something quite wonderous was taking place. The prayer uttered into his non-hearing ears just a few minutes earlier was now being answered. There is no doubt in my mind as to what was happening. The veil of the unseen was being drawn back for him; the hope of Heaven was now becoming sight to his soul. The beckoning call of his risen Savior, now being seen and heard, was a foretaste of what would become his possession in a few hours. Even his now shutting-down unconscious body had to respond to this glorious call to his spirit from the Master himself.


My brother and I looked at each other with astonishment. A few hours later Pops left us. With one last squeeze of our hands in his, he breathed his last and was now in the presence of what his body had craved for only several hours earlier. Pops is now home, his journey in the enemy’s territory is over. What he was created for, relationship with Father God, is now one and complete. Inexpressible wonder!


Love you Pops!



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Gast
13 jan 2023

Steve, Thank you for sharing this experience. The hope of glory for all who love Jesus!


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