I am writing this blog post on the heels of Hurricane Florence. This monster hurricane threatened the Carolinas keeping many eyes glued to the weather forecasts for days in advance of the storm. Prayer warriors took their stands everywhere praying the storm would turn back to the sea or dissolve. In many ways those prayers were answered as the storm which threatened to be a category 4 or even 5 storm was reduced to a category 1 storm by the time it hit Wilmington, NC.

I in no way want to minimize the impact of the storm on those who did suffer – especially in Wilmington where they endured the pounding for hours on end as the storm stalled and lingered there. Nor do I want to minimize the impact of the flooding that followed the storm across North Carolina. But most of us, especially in South Carolina, are breathing deep sighs of relief.

I think of how delighted I felt when I saw the first bright sunlight and patches of blue sky the next day following the storm. It brought to mind a song my mama used to play on the piano while she, my brother, and I would sing it. I love the words (and the melody, but I’ll spare you any attempt to sing it for you.)

BACK OF THE CLOUDS

Never fear tho’ shadows dark around your path may fall; 
Do not let your heart be troubled; 
From His throne in heaven, 
God is watching one and all, 
He will ever care for you. 

(Chorus) 
Back of the clouds the sun is always shining, 
After the storms your skies will all be blue; 
God has prepared a rosy-tinted lining, 
Back of the clouds it’s waiting to shine thru. 

Winter long is over and the spring has gone her way, 
Often has the storm clouds gathered, 
But the rain has only made the blossoms look more gay… 
Given earth a brighter hue. 

Keep the light of hope eternal dwelling in your heart, 
Rest upon the Father’s promise, 
And you’ll find that care and trouble will depart… 
Heaven’s peace will enter in. 

–Carolyn R. Freeman

We face many kinds of storms in life. Some are physical storms like hurricanes while others have more to do with health, relationships, finances, politics, or any other issue that disturbs us. We are blessed when we know we can confidently call upon our God, the Creator of all things, to calm our storms or to go through them with us.

Read Isaiah 43:1-7.

Photo by Val Vesa on Unsplash