Through the Rain

For almost two years now life as most Americans had previously known it has ceased to exist. The carefree days of living uninhibited by the restraints of our safety and health no longer exist. Fear if we aren’t careful can consume our thoughts and steal every ounce of joy we have.

Having been mostly house bound and fear bound since the beginning of the pandemic I have begun getting out a bit more the last couple of weeks. I have taken up the quote “faith over fear.” I attended a live church service; went into some grocery stores and shopped at local shops.

Our daughter who lives in Marietta invited me to attend our oldest grandson’s basketball game in Atlanta this weekend. I must admit I was apprehensive and unsure if my faith would be stronger than my fear. I hadn’t driven to Atlanta in over two years, and it was supposed to rain on Saturday the day of his game.

Saturday morning came and it was so foggy outside when I woke up, I could barely see past the front porch. I had already checked the GPS to see how long it would take to get to the school. My GPS estimated one hour and nine minutes. I knew with it being the weekend before Christmas traffic would be heavy with last minute shoppers. Factoring in rainy road conditions and construction on I-85, I-285 and 400, I knew my GPS time prediction was highly inaccurate.

The game was scheduled to begin at 2pm. I left my house at 11:30am, stopped and filled up the car, went by my youngest daughters work and picked up an item, then picked up a sandwich and drink from Arby’s drive through. I pulled onto the already backed up I-85 entrance ramp and began literally just inching my way towards St. Ann Catholic Church School Atlanta (Marietta). It was 12:05pm.

An accident just before the Braselton exit had caused the sluggish traffic. Once I snail crawled past it, I was able to pick up my speed. “This isn’t bad at all,” I thought, it was only drizzling rain and the fog had already lifted. When I got to the Buford exit, I had expected traffic to be really backed up with cars headed to the Mall of Georgia but going South there wasn’t a backlog at all. Smooth sailing. I was enjoying listening to Christmas music and all was good!

Suddenly as I got to the Sugarloaf exit as they say “the bottom fell out”, it was raining so hard I could barely see my windshield wipers! I got in the middle lane and slowed down to a creepy crawl. “Lord, help me Jesus,” I prayed “please don’t let a transfer truck run over me.”

As I was driving through the rain the song “Too Faithful” by Moses Bliss began playing.

You are who are yesterday 
Today and forever more 
What You say is what You do 
You never fail You never change 
You are faithful till the end 
Faithful God, I worship You 
I worship You

You’re too Faithful to fail me 
You’re too Faithful
To disappoint me 
You’ve Proven Yourself in my life 
And I’ve come to Realize 
You are too Faithful to fail me

I began to just praise the Lord for his faithfulness! Through every storm, through every heartbreak, through all my sickness, even though I have failed Him, He has always remained faithful! He has proven Himself over and over. I do not have to live in fear.

We do not have to live in fear because we serve a faithful God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. “Hebrews 13:8. When we concentrate on His faithfulness, when we remember who loves us and protects us our faith is strengthened, and we have peace.

📖 Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

It kept on raining hard all the way to Jimmy Carter Boulevard then it slacked up. Traffic was slow but steady and me and the Holy Spirit had a wonderful time rejoicing and remembering all of God’s faithfulness. My spirit was renewed through the rain and a long car ride.

I arrived at St. Ann Catholic Church at 1:55pm.

Off Balance

Off Balance

Somehow, with everything that is going on in this world the past few days I have found myself “off balance.”  

Have you ever felt that way? As if you just weren’t walking straight anymore. You are still getting up everyday and doing what you are supposed to do, but your legs are weak and you seem to stumble more. This is where I find myself.

I know God is still in control, I am just overcome with sadness with what is happening around me.

So much death and sickness.

So much strife and confusion.

Hate and destruction.

The constant pressure by the world to conform.

I have never lived through anything like what we are going through now and honestly – it is difficult. 

In the mornings I struggle to get up and get going. Am I depressed? Maybe, but this is something more. It’s more of a grieving.

Grieved over the way of life I once knew.  The world, country, church and family life I loved and enjoyed has completely changed. I am grieved because I know in my lifetime, it will never be the same again.

Life is full of changes and believe me I have experienced many of them. Some changes I have gone through with joy and others in great agony. Falling in love then the  adjustments of marriage. The joy of the births of our children then the agony of the teen years and loneliness of empty nest syndrome.

There were many unexpected changes I was sure would crush me forever.  The death of my baby brother, watching my child suffer from a severe illness, being diagnosed with an incurable disease.

Abraham, Noah, Lot, Ruth, Esther, Daniel and many, many others saw their world change forever in their lifetime. Yet, they stayed faithful to God and saw His hand deliver and protect them. I am sure there were probably times of great personal grief for each of them, but they remained faithful and they kept their hope in God.

My hope and your hope must be in Him, not on the world around us. I have to turn off the world, let the grief pass and let the hope of GOD be manifest.

May God’s unfailing love and faithfulness watch over each of us. May we sing His praises forever.

Psalms 61 NLT

“O God, listen to my cry!

    Hear my prayer!

From the ends of the earth,

    I cry to you for help

    when my heart is overwhelmed.

Lead me to the towering rock of safety,

    for you are my safe refuge,

    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

Let me live forever in your sanctuary,

    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

For you have heard my vows, O God.

    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.

Add many years to the life of the king!

    May his years span the generations!

May he reign under God’s protection forever.

    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.

Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.”

May God’s unfailing love and faithfulness watch over each of us. May we sing His praises forever.