I took a little time away from most of my regular schedule las week. We enjoyed some time with my parents. We took in the sights around Lake Guntersville (Guntersville, Alabama), went shopping at The Unclaimed Baggage Store in Scottsboro on Memorial Day and then drove the ridge of Little River Canyon.

While we were on vacation we had to be weather aware. Tropical Storm Alberto came up through the Gulf of Mexico and entered Alabama. The area we were in had potential for storms. We did get a little bit of rain, but nothing severe. However, in a storm system unrelated to Alberto, Ellicott City, Maryland flooded. Many homes and businesses were destroyed and one off-duty National Guard member lost his life trying to save others. His family deserves to know that he is truly an American hero!

Watching scenes of Ellicott City reminded me of the 1990 Flood in Elba, Alabama. The Pea River crested at 48 feet and Whitewater Creek breeched the levee. The levee failed and Elba flooded. A few days later, I wen with a crew from Niceville Church of Christ (Niceville, FL) to help with some clean=up efforts.

Storms come into our lives. Some storms are literal physical storms. Others are different kinds of storms. There are:

• Storms of illness
• Storms of ridicule
• Storms of stress
• Storms of uncertainty
• Storms can knock you off of your feet.

When the disciples found themselves in a dangerous storm on Galilee, they roused Jesus from sleep and asked, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mar 4:38). When we face our “storms” we think and ask the same thing. God, do You care? May I remind you that He does care. Peter, one who was in that boat, would later write, “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” (1Pe 5:7). Peter knew from his experience that God cares.

We read of another storm in Acts 27:22-25. In this storm the apostle Paul was able to remain calm and encourage his fellow passengers. He was calm because of his faith in God. He told the others to

1. Take Courage,
2. God is with you.
3. God cares and protects.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

I leave you with this thought and challenge:

Rely on faith during the storms of life.