Pastor Ron Burcham

A few moments ago my cell phone and every phone around me sounded an alert; “Storm warning for your area.” No one was too surprised at the warning since the wind had been howling for the past 20 minutes and we were under a dark cloud cover. All the same, the alert was appreciated so that we all knew to stay inside and start planning on spending an extra hour cleaning our pool when we got home. There have been times when the alert went off on my phone and I was looking at a clear blue sky with lots of sun. No sign of a storm from my vantage point, but one was coming and it was moving fast. Those are the instances that I really appreciate the alert.

Now wouldn’t it be great to have an alert of some kind when a major storm in your life is about to hit? There are times when you can see them coming. For example, there has been a tension in the air for days, so it is not too much of a surprise when the blow up happens. There are other times when life is looking bright and sunny until the phone call in the middle of the night saying you better travel back home it doesn’t look good for Mom; or the tightness in your chest that lands you in the hospital and then in surgery; or the day that the washer, dryer and air-conditioner stop working!

Unfortunately, there is no early warning system in life. We really only have one option, and that is to be prepared. The preparation I am thinking of is not the physical preparation like making sure you have savings, a will, etc. More importantly is the spiritual preparation. When a storm in life hits, usually it is not the economic side of it that is the most challenging. Usually it is the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspect that is the hardest to grapple with. In my opinion, the most important of the three is the spiritual. If you are in a good place spiritually, then you will be able to handle the blowing winds of life emotionally and mentally. If you are so inclined, I invite you to check out these scripture passages as part of being prepared for anything:

Philippians 4:4-9 – Power of Prayer

Hebrews 13:5-6 – Never alone

Romans 8:26 – Power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:28 – God has a plan

Matthew 28:20b – Jesus is always with you

Storms here in the Valley will subside over the next few weeks, but it is inevitable that they will return. In life we have times when everything is going pretty well, but we know that a storm will eventually hit. That reality is life this side of heaven. The good news is God has given us what we need to be prepared for, and make it through, the toughest of times.