Lightning bolts and storm clouds

I love adventure. The thrill of the unknown and unfamiliar brings out a part of me that’s both exciting and a little reckless. One of my favorite places is the airport. The sense of adventure is so strong that you can almost taste it. The most exciting aspect of airports is knowing that I’m about to embark on my own adventure. Just the plane ride itself is full of excitement for me.

Despite the stuffy air, interesting smells and cramped spaces of an airplane, I can be completely content as long as I have a window seat. My absolute favorite part of flying is looking out the window and being able to see the twists and turns of the highways, the curves of the rivers and the clouds that are so thick beneath you, you could sit on them. It makes the earth seem so huge and the lives we live below seem so small.

One of the most amazing things that I have ever seen during a flight was when I was coming back from Mexico one summer. After watching the sun go down, which was amazing in and of itself, the sky became so dark that the black clouds and the sprinkle of the city lights below were the only things I could see. And then the storm began.

We were far enough away from it that it didn’t really affect our flight, but we were close enough to be able to watch it. I remember looking out my window at one particular cloud as the lightning began. I watched as the bolt escaped the cloud and then disappeared just as quickly. The same process happened again and again, and each time I was just as captivated.

I realized in that moment how amazing our God is. You know these things in your head, but when you get to experience firsthand something amazing like that and realize that he is in control of it all, that he created it all, it really puts you in your place. Watching the storm rage from above the clouds made me feel small. It made me realize that I am not in control of my life the way that I think I am. I cannot control the storms that come, and I cannot control where and when the lightning will strike. That sentence would be so frightening to me if it just ended with that period. But praise God it doesn’t! I do not have to be afraid of the storm. I can’t control it, but God is always in control. I can ride the adventures of this life without being afraid of the storms that come.

Galatians 6:8-9

I absolutely love the writings of Paul. He knew exactly how to say things in a way that really hits home for me. After studying his life, I appreciated his words even more. I highly encourage everyone to learn more about the life of Paul if given the chance. These two verse were written by Paul as a reminder of how important our actions are when it comes to eternal life.

Galatians 6:8-9 ~ "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

So much truth packed into just two sentences! These verses remind me that, whatever I do, there will be a consequence or a reward. As fun as pleasing, or giving into, my sinful nature is, it's only going to bring destruction. And that's just not worth the pleasing feeling that my sinful nature can give me!


I love how Paul says that doing good can cause us to become weary. That is so true! It's hard to do the right thing and can easily tire a person. And not only can doing good cause weariness, but it can also cause impatience. But if a harvest is reaped too soon, then it will not be worth anything. It will be ruined. I would rather have to wait a little longer to reap a harvest on God's timing instead of ruining the entire harvest by reaping it when I think it's time.  

Happy New Year?

As the new year rolls in, I can't help but think about everything that transpired over this past year. The good, the bad and the ugly. I've heard it said that with the entrance of a new year, each person is given a clean slate. This new year is a fresh start where anything could happen. Whatever happened this past year no longer matters, because everyone gets a new year to do things right. New resolutions, new diet plans, new promises.

Don't get me wrong, I think the idea of a fresh new start is great. However, I also think that it can be a little misleading. The start of a new year brings new promises and new motivations, yes. But the idea that everything from the past year is wiped clean because it is now a fresh new year can be a deceptive fantasy. Come Jan. 1, pretty much the only thing that is fresh and clean is my new calendar!

Despite the cliches of a fresh start with a new year, the hard truth is that the old year carries over for each and every day of that new year. The hurt from broken relationships doesn't magically disappear when the clock strikes 12. Neither does the fear of what the future will or will not bring for this year.

But you know what also carries over to the new year? All of the true relationships that will never die. The new friendships that bloomed. The lessons that were learned. I have learned so much through the hurt, the heartache and the mental battles that I faced this year. I don't want to have that wiped off my slate. I went through various fires, and Jesus helped me to walk out of each and every one. I wouldn't give that up for a million new starts.

I guess the lingering question is this: Do I want a new start that wipes the slate clean, allowing me to forget? Or do I want a start that gives me new beginnings while allowing me to remember and cherish the tough times? Because with hurt comes lessons and healing. And forgetting means having to relearn those lessons all over again. I choose the latter.