Life's Hurricanes

Why was this written many years ago? The reason is forgotten now!

However, people still experience similar ‘hurricanes’ in their lives. The questions raised are similar in nature. May the answers be found from the same source – God’s Word and His grace which never lets us go.
We need to remember Lamentations 3:21-25 (NIV) :

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

From out of nowhere it came. Sweeping across my life with the ferocity of a hurricane, it caused widespread devastation. Emotional wreckage lies strewn amidst the physical pain. I’m powerless, speechless, miserable.
Voices within and around call me to curse you, Lord!

They taunt me with your unfairness. Their words are like swords piercing the heart as they belittle your goodness and grace.
My tears burn as they fall. Weariness overwhelms.

Aftershocks batter my spiritual life. O God, unbelief is trying to undermine trust in your love and holiness.
I feel as though I am drowning in the deluge.
I cannot hold onto you.
Lord, don’t let me go.
In my numbness I feel you not. Your word is all I can take hope in.

Silence my lips from making rash comments about you or life’s circumstances.
Wipe the mist from my eyes.
I need to see beyond the moment and behold your faithfulness and purposes.

As the hurricane spends itself across my life, let it not smash me to the ground. Be the strength of my being. Let me stand true to you, surrounded though I be by broken dreams, unanswered questions, uncertainty of action.
From my quivering lips and burdened mind may I truthfully share to any who will listen, “God is Good. His mercy endures forever!”

I understand not that which has come to pass.
What I know and by an effort of my will I seek to do.
I bow before You and seek to honour You in and through it all.

The hurricanes that surrounded me all those years ago have now calmed. There may be more ahead but now I am even more certain of the Lord who loves me and can say with even more certainty:

“Great is Your faithfulness!”

Ray (still sheltering in God’s high tower) Hawkins.

©R.N.Hawkins

Where is God in a Writer's Day?

I’ve been preparing a Bible study on “Where is God in your Day.” As all speakers will know, it is the speaker who seems to be challenged and blessed during the preparation of a talk even more than she would hope the participants and listeners will be!

Confession time:

As much as I try to be disciplined in spending special time in the scriptures and prayer by myself every morning, there are too many days when the “Tyranny of the Urgent” takes over and those precious moments are either skipped completely or rushed through in a few moments.

So, that is my early morning season with God. What about when pressures of trying to cope with all the demands of that day keep pounding away at me. Where is God in it all?

There are many times when I cannot help comparing my love relationship with God like the one I have with my husband. There are busy days when we are not able to spend much time together. There are hectic days when one of us is away from home altogether, perhaps even away for several nights too. (I have always been so very thankful God has not required that very often of us!) Then there are days when we can enjoy spending all the time together. No matter what kind of “Day” Ray and I share, whether away or together, our love and concern for each other’s welfare is always there in our hearts – even if not always at the forefront of our minds.

Although it is pretty impossible comparing a mere man to Almighty God, in so many ways my relationship with them both has similarities. Okay, so Ray is not God and like me makes mistakes, but I have to confess not always wanting to listen to Ray’s words, wanting to do what he suggests I should do even when I know deep down he is right! There are too many times I behave like that with God. “Trust Me,” God says. Especially during those days in dark valleys of doubt, pain, grief that is often hard to do.

When Ray and I were first getting to know each other forty-nine years ago, there was no way I knew his heart and mind as I do now. Since a child I have been so fortunate getting to know the God who never changes. Now I have experienced His care and love so many innumerable times and in so many varied and wonderful ways, I find trusting Him much, much easier. But still He needs to remind this frail, so often faithless woman, that her faithful God IS in control, that He DOES know what is best for her.

There are hours, perhaps even days, when I have not deliberately gone to spend time talking to Him and listening to what He has to say from the Bible to my curcumstances. How stupid I have been! How many mistakes I have made! But our Faithful God, through His Holy Spirit, tries to bring thoughts to my mind, remind me of God’s words, His ways, and prompts me to do things I would not otherwise do. But how much easier it is to hear and obey when I do spend those quality times alone with Him.

As I look back over my “days” – and there have been a huge number of them now – God has always been there in them in ways no one on this earth ever can be and this does include that wonderful husband of mine God has given me!

And no, afraid I did not spend more than a few moments this morning talking to God, just asked Him to control and direct my day.

Now back to spending more time with the great Lover of my soul before I do more writing – and more preparation on that Bible Study. Sigh! Guess I know I’m going to be challenged and convicted myself first by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

So, where is God in YOUR day?

Ray on Monday - What a Night

Time…6:30am
Place…sitting in bed.
I’m so tired Lord I need to talk with you before I get out of bed.

It’s been a rough night and I’ve got important business to do today. The very thought of it makes me cringe, not because of the work, but because of how I feel. A rubber ball is sharper than me at the moment.

Why is it that nearly every time I’ve some important business to do, especially when it relates to your Kingdom’s purposes, things get difficult the night before? It can’t be simply nerves! Take last night for instance. That thunderstorm was a cracker. It rattled the roof and walls with its thunderclaps and the rain, wow. When my eyes open enough to look out the window I reckon it will look like a lake. I probably could have slept through it after a while but the children were frightened, restless and having nightmares. Terrible combination for a parent’s sleeping programme.

So, here I am. How I wish I could stay in bed, call in sick and give the day a miss. Can’t be done, so I’m really desperate for your mercy! Times such as these push me towards one of three corners in my mind. To be honest, the most natural one is marked, ‘frustration and anger’. I can visualise it. Plenty of kick marks and sore toes but no value. The other corner, so tempting in which to hide, is signed, ‘self-pity and resignation’. Been there too often and didn’t do any good. The other alternative is, I know the best, but it is so demanding on the will. It’s signed, ‘Trust!’

Perhaps this is the corner from which Paul declared to the Corinthians, “ My, (meaning Your) grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” I sure would appreciate the same realisation. How I wish you would simply zap me with your grace power and let me get on with things. I know. You don’t work that way. So, out of bed, feet on the ground, get moving body. As I go, so your grace flows, that’s your way and this evening I’ll realise it. Just at the moment however it’s taking all the obedience my faith can muster to start.

Ooohhh no!

What’s happened now? Another problem!

The power’s gone off. Lord, if it stays off, or recurs in the meeting, what’ll I do? My wonderful (well in my thinking) power point presentation will be ruined.

What’s that? Zechariah 4:6. Let me look it up. “’Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.’”
I apologise Lord. I was thinking it was all up to me. Thanks for your promise.
Amen.
Ray (Sustained by Grace) Hawkins