Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Downpours and Semi-Trucks in Life

"April Showers bring May Flowers..."

I know it's true but you haven't seen rain until you've lived in Florida. Last night as we drove from the Florida State Line to Tampa, we ran into some rain. Actually, we ran into tornado warnings. What we drove through for about an hour or so was a torrential downpour. The kind where the windshield wipers can't go fast enough to get all the water off the windshield. Then, inevitably, an eighteen wheeler comes passing through and what was a torrential downpour becomes blinding water as he passes you and the water from the road and his tires splashes all over you.

Why is it then when things are tense in life and you are having to do everything you can to hold on to the wheel so your life doesn't go careening off into the ditch, that something else always comes by to make things that much more difficult? Have you ever felt like semi-trucks drive by you when you can least afford the extra rain in your life? Maybe I'm the only one, but I suspect that most all of us feel like "when it rains, it pours". Bad things always seem to come in threes. I've heard folks say, "God will never give you any more than you can handle". I believe that. I also believe that God has greater faith in my capacity to handle my problems than I have in my ability to deal with difficulties. I say that because I get to the point where I don't think I can handle any more and more still comes my way. Yet, I survive. Somehow. By the grace of God, I seem to survive.

So, if you feel like life is raining on your parade, just remember, you can make it through. At 2 a.m. we pulled into Tampa and parked in the driveway of Dad's house. No worse for wear. No rain coming down. I could hear the trucks driving by on the highway. They seemed a distant worry now that we were home safe. I trust that the same thing will happen to you on your life's journey. May the problems all dissipate like the rain and may you all be left with the sweet smell of May flowers that follow all the April rains.

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