We've been waiting all day for the heart of Sandy to arrive. But as I check the clock, I realize that according to the weather update this afternoon, we must be in the thick of it right now. I experienced the same thing last year during Hurricane Irene. I woke up throughout the night, walked around the house and peeked out the windows to assess whether or not Irene had "really" hit yet. By the time it was over, I had missed the whole thing.
You see, our little house is surrounded by very old, very massive oak trees. In the summer we hardly get sunlight because the leaves are so dense, and for storms like Irene and Sandy (so far), we hardly get wind. The storm can crack, rage, and blow all it wants, but it'll keep a safe distance from our house. After Irene I decided that our house was storm-proof until I walked around the neighborhood the next day. The whole neighborhood is full of oaks like the ones around our house, and Irene had knocked over a few.
So many of the things we trust in are like these oaks: they usually work, and everything about them suggests that they will, but their failure is disastrous. When they come crashing down, the result is worse than if they weren't there to begin with. And still, we choose to ride out so many of life's storms finding peace behind oaks that in the end can't bear the weight. Instead of trusting in the oaks, we should trust in the Rock who never fails. I'm thankful that God uses these oaks to protect us during these storms, but I'm more thankful that even when the oaks fail me, I know He won't.
You see, our little house is surrounded by very old, very massive oak trees. In the summer we hardly get sunlight because the leaves are so dense, and for storms like Irene and Sandy (so far), we hardly get wind. The storm can crack, rage, and blow all it wants, but it'll keep a safe distance from our house. After Irene I decided that our house was storm-proof until I walked around the neighborhood the next day. The whole neighborhood is full of oaks like the ones around our house, and Irene had knocked over a few.
So many of the things we trust in are like these oaks: they usually work, and everything about them suggests that they will, but their failure is disastrous. When they come crashing down, the result is worse than if they weren't there to begin with. And still, we choose to ride out so many of life's storms finding peace behind oaks that in the end can't bear the weight. Instead of trusting in the oaks, we should trust in the Rock who never fails. I'm thankful that God uses these oaks to protect us during these storms, but I'm more thankful that even when the oaks fail me, I know He won't.