It is the same every morning I take my children to school. I round a bend, crest a hill, and the sunrise hits me directly in the eyes. You know the kind. The blinding light bordering pain which threatens to veer you from your path and deviate the vehicle off the road.
The light causes you to squint and slow down so you can focus on the right side of the asphalt in order to stay in your lane; however, despite this naturally dangerous occurrence of simple sun rays reflecting off of a windshield it is one of my favorite parts of taking my children to school. I crest the hill on those mornings with the deep urge to sing. My soul cries out for the Lord who created this sun, who created me, who created the day I am beginning. To be honest, there are some days I sing as I see this beautiful sight. Yeah, the kids are in the car. Sure, I have teenagers. At this point in their lives, this is not my children's first rodeo with their eccentric mother.
This week found my morning drive to be different. The South had been experiencing a drought for the last couple of months so when the rains began intermittently for the last couple of weeks, our community had rejoiced. The rain had not; however, transpired on any recent morning I was driving the children. Today, rain was imminent.
I dropped off our middle school child and commenced to drop off the high school kids. As I rounded the bend and crested my favorite hill, I was hit with a sky burdened with Nimbostratus clouds. These clouds permeated the sky in an array of grey, black, and white.
Like a child whose expectations had been crushed, my thought was, "Oh, the sun isn't there."
The sun has become one of my favorite views as I crest the hill and the cloudy sky dashed my expectations. Unexpectedly, my heart was met with a voice saying, "The sun is always there, you just can't see it."
My spirit brightened at the words spoken to my heart. The sun was there. I couldn't see it, I couldn't experience its rays of sunshine, but the sun still rose that morning, it was still shining brightly; however, it was simply covered.
How many times have we allowed our circumstances to cloud our life so that we wonder, "Where is God?" Do we question His presence in our lives? Do we question if he cares about the clouds looming?
The Bible is very clear about God's consistent presence in our lives throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Examples stating this are seen in;
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV)"
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NIV)"
Did you know (depending on the version of Bible you have) the phrase and subject of "God with you" is used as many as 400 times throughout the Bible? The verses I have placed above are just two of more than 400!
Additionally, God's Word is clear for us not to worry about our circumstances but to cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV)"
Luke 12:7 "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
Our circumstances may cloud our lives from being able to feel God's presence or see Him in the storm; however, He is still there. He is still good no matter what storm we are walking through. We must remember that fact particularly: He is good. Just because the sky was cloudy as I drove my children to school did not indicate the sun had become "bad" or had disappeared. I simply could not see it.
Do you know how to reach God during these times? I cannot reach the sun on a cloudy day; however, God has created a way for us to reach Him. Prayer. It is as simple as that: Prayer. Prayer isn't hard, it does not require eloquent words, a minister's degree, or a formula. Prayer is simply a dialogue between ourselves and God. This dialogue is less about who is speaking (you) and more about who is listening (God). We simply need to seek the Lord, call upon His name, and He hears us (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
The next time the sun is hiding from you, remember, it is still existent. The sun has not left; just as God has not abandoned you in your stormy times.