Thunderstorms

It seems as though in summer time...thunderstorms are a regular occurrence. Especially here in the South. You can almost set your watch by them. It's crazy to me how the beginning of the day could be so beautiful, and then by four o'clock on the dot, BAM...thunder, lightning, and Forrest Gump style "big ole fat rain."

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel as though I have a thunderstorm curse. If I remember to bring my umbrella along with me, it absolutely will not rain when I'm outside. However, the second I leave it at home, the rain ALWAYS comes if I need to be outside.

And cars? Yeah to people in cars it's funny to see us walking in the rain without an umbrella. We almost become walking targets in the "let's drive through this puddle as fast as possible so as to soak the walking person" game.

Let's be real here...getting caught in a thunderstorm can ruin a perfectly good day. Once you get rained on...your clothes feel heavier...your hair is a mess...your shoes soggy...there's nothing good about getting caught in the rain.

Yesterday, as 5 o'clock came and I triumphantly neared the door to make my glory march to the car...I quickly stopped in my tracks. Rain...and I had no umbrella...and my car was three blocks away.

But then, something happened that doesn't usually happen. A nice lady who I'd seen before in the office offered me her umbrella. She said she was parked in the garage and didn't even need to go outside, and I could bring it back to her the next day.




Isn't life like that so many times?

Some people are in a perpetual state of thunderstorms. They feel weighed down...their life is a mess...and they feel like everyone who sees them is out to get them.

That lady who gave me her umbrella yesterday made my day. Momentarily, she took away my rain.

In the Bible, Jesus tells a parable in which he describes how we'll be identified as Christians.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says,

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Whenever we do things for others, we need to realize that we are doing those things for Jesus. What "umbrellas" have you given to others lately?

Our acts that seem as insignificant as lending out an umbrella could have effects far beyond what we can imagine. Taking away somebody's rain for a day could lead to big changes in their life. God brought that person to you for a purpose.

Give somebody an "umbrella" today...you may be the one key person who God wants to use to take away that person's rain in their life.

Remember...many many years ago, God sent us His son Jesus to be our umbrella to save us from an eternal thunderstorm. Let's follow His example.

Until next time,

ST