“A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger.” Lk. 8:23
The first words spoken on our car radio this morning were “Have you got your neighbors picnic set in your yard? … Call it ‘the neighborhood swap meet’! …Damages from this weekend’s storm continue to mount.” ~~ We Cleary’s were out of town this weekend, but as we drove closer to our beloved Santa Barbara Sunday evening, we observed agricultural fields completely under water, the 101 freeway flooded and narrowed to less than 1 lane, 1 accident after another, trees down, debris everywhere, …then back at home, the creek that runs through our property now 40 ft. across and our yard quite rearranged/redecorated. What a sight!
And this morning, we find ourselves in a storm of a different kind with a dear family member in major surgery back in Walter Reed Medical.
We are reminded:
· Is. 24:20 “The earth staggers like a drunkard. It trembles like a tent in a storm.”
· Is. 25:4 “O Lord, You are a refuge from the storm. To the needy in distress, You are a shelter from the rain and the heat.”
When calamity overcomes us like a storm, when we are engulfed by trouble, when anguish and distress overwhelm us we are wise to remember, Ps. 107:29 “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.”
God bless you this week.
Much love,
Shaun and Betsy
