Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Storms

(To be clear, this is just a stock photo - I didn't get a picture of Thursday night's storm)

We had a storm roll through last night.

It came just as quickly as the one in May did, but this time it blew hard from the North and brought lots of hail.

Our neighbors' swingset blew over again. We lost a couple of small branches from our front yard tree. Some people had whole trees come down. I think the plastic sprinkler shark (or was it a whale?) that the daycare was using on the church lawn may have blown away. Or maybe it was just pummeled by enough hail that it deflated. I haven't checked it out yet.

We don't like storms, do we? They can be scary. They are usually a nuisance with the messes they make in our yards and basements. They can be downright dangerous and cause injuries and death under certain circumstances.

The storms of life can be scary, too. They are often a nuisance when they upset our plans and cause extra work and worry for us. They can involve sickness, injuries, and death; situations that shake us to the very core.

Physical storms can be frightening, but the sky before or after a storm can be very beautiful. Here's a shot taken at the Butler County Fair last night before the actual storm hit: 

(Photo Credit: Karen Dilger)

Isn't that beautiful?

When we go through the storms of life, we need to look for the beauty, too. God is with us, no matter what we're going through. He'll take care of us and help us get through whatever we face.

I'm not saying it will be easy.

There may be scary times. Annoying times. Heartbreaking times of illness or loss.

But God is there. He'll calm the storm. He'll keep us calm in the middle of the storm.

We just have to hold on and trust Him. In everything.

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind." (Psalm 107:28-31 NIV)

Do storms scare you? How can focusing on God help you to get through storms with less fear (actual storms and the storms of life)?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Gifts

The Butler County Fair is going on in our town this week. It has been fun to go up to the fairgrounds and watch many of the events. Our church has a booth where people can pick a duck from a tank full of water and win a prize. Most people can be convinced to stop when we just say, "Would you like to pick a duck?" Of course, many of them look at you like you're crazy until you explain how easy it is to win a prize. Every duck is a winner! The interesting thing has been seeing how many people refuse to pick a duck. They seem suspicious and they give their head a little shake and move right along to the next booth. They give up a sure prize because they don't trust our intentions. Our church just wants to offer people a free gift and put a smile on people's faces as they visit the booths at the fair.

As I saw quite a few people react that way to our free gift offer, I thought about how many people reject God's free gift because they are also suspicious. God offers us eternal life if we just believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that His death means eternal life for us. 

They would rather keep going along in life just trying to do the best they can, not relying on anyone else for anything. They reject the gift because they think there are strings attached. God's grace is free, but we have to make the decision to accept it and live in it. We can't ignore it and keep walking along in life trying to do things on our own.

Would you like to pick a duck?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Are you suspicious of God's free gift offer? How can focusing on God help you to accept that gift and look forward to eternal life?