Warmer Temps
My husband and I recently visited the lovely city of Charleston SC. He was attending a conference. I was able to tag along and enjoy the evenings of vendor entertainment. We arrived early to allow us to have time to visit some of our favorite Charleston attractions. We have visited more than once and have always enjoyed the area.
The weather over the weekend was beautiful as we walked the downtown and later took a bike taxi to our hotel. With temps in the 70s to low 80s and little humidity we took in the warmth. On Monday, it was again in the 80s. The weather did not hold and Tuesday was quite different!
The sun was covered the entire day by clouds and temps never got higher than the 50s and by evening when we were scheduled for a boat tour, the “real feel” was in the 40s. We dressed warm as we could but the wind definitely supported that real feel temp. Fortunately after waiting in the chilly night air, the boat was warm and the evening was delightful.
Isn’t this often how we find ourselves in major life altering circumstances and wonder where is God? It was beautiful. We were feeling the sun on our faces and then suddenly He’s allowed a tragedy into our lives. Life takes a nasty turn and becomes like the chilly night air with the wind pushing us deeper into the cold.
- Maybe it’s a death or illness of a loved one.
- Maybe it’s a job lose.
- Maybe it’s a child gone off track.
- Maybe it’s depression holding a dark cloak over us.
In times like these, as difficult as it is, realizing God had not left us and still loves us deeply is key to being able to again one day find the warmer temps and sunshine. The Bible gives us assurances of this in the following verses:
- Matthew 28:20: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.
- Deuteronomy 31:8: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”.
The reason He will never leave is because of His intense and unending love for us. It’s almost impossible to wrap one’s head around exactly how much He loves us. The following famous verse is so well known that it’s almost lost the full impact of its meaning when we read it:
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
Imagine giving your child to a world of sinners to be crucified, tortured and lead to a horrible death. To do so, would require having an unimaginable love for that world of sinners. And even more impactful is the timing as is laid out in this verse found in Romans:
- Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Knowing we were loved by God while we were deep in our sin and that He will never leave us for any reason can:
- Help us as we face the unfacable.
- Guide us through the paths we cannot find.
- Bring us from heartbreak to healing.
It may not happen as quickly as the weather changes. It may take time. During that time God will continue to immensely love us and walk unwavering with us until the sun again shines down on us and we feel warmer temps.
JW