Friday, July 23, 2010

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm (Psalm 44:8 NIV).





The other day our area was hit with unusual storm patterns for the North County. I sat glued to the local news channel as it kept repeatedly warning people to get inside, go into their basements, or find shelter in the innermost room of their home. The conditions were ripe for a tornado.


For some parts of the country, threats of tornados may be a frequent occurrence. Although, Northern Adirondacks might have microbursts, localized wind funnels that create havoc for in a short swathe, tornados are relatively unheard of. Although my immediate area was spared the damage, homes within a mile or two of me were rattled and ravaged.

So what did I do? Stayed in my recliner, drank my coffee and watched the broadcast with amusement. ”It won’t happen here. Never has and never will.”

 
A friend told how she immediately got up, filled some jugs of water, plugged in a temporary phone line, and protected herself in case she lost power. I thought how foolish I had been to just sit and do nothing. Fortunately, no harm done, but what about the next time? Should I rest easy simply because I escaped the full impact of the storm?

 
I think how sometimes as a believer I tend toward armchair spirituality. I hear the warnings, yet I remain fixated on my current comfort, unwilling to get up and prepare, read my Bible for advice or most importantly, pray for a wall of protection against the enemy’s buffeting winds.

And so today, I am asking the Spirit to push me out of my laziness, pull me up with His hand, and shove me toward action, not wait for the reality of the storm but to respond at the first warning.

How about you? Ponder me back.