This seems to be a common sight in Twin Falls these days. 2007 and 2008 have brought a wave of Winter Storms that have continued to roll in off the coast. Every couple of days another one is on it's way in.
For those of us who love to play in the snow this is downright awesome. Skiing, Tubing, Snowshoeing, or whatever; this is perfect.
Waking up to snow on the ground is ideal when it's Christmas Day, but when you have to get out and shovel it every 20 minutes because you own a business, or if you have to drive any distance, then it is an entirely different story.
What about storms in our lives?
Clearly, everyone expects a squall from time to time. But when we get storm after storm after storm roll in without enough time to resolve the issues from the previous or ongoing storm, it makes you want to sit down and give up shovelling the walk as it were.
I love what our pastor was preaching on this past week. We all have been through this sermon series in Hebrews convinced that the theme of Hebrews is Faith or the Supremacy of Christ, or the assurance of our salvation. And although these themes are huge throughout the book of Hebrews, the ongoing overall, underlying, recurring motif is without a doubt is "ENDURANCE".
These Idaho Winter storms will pass. The storms in our lives will pass as well. But let's endure and see how what we're going through can bring about an amazing work in our lives by allowing the Author and Finisher of our faith to do His work through these storms.
-John
4 comments:
Sunday's sermon has not left my mind. It had real-life, practical meaning to me. Then I got in the car and the most perfect song I can think of started playing. Have you heard "Press On" by Selah? Here are a few of the words. "When the valley is deep, when the mountain is steep, when the body is weary, when we stumble and fall. When the choices are hard, when we're battered and scarred, When we've spent our resources, when we've given our all. In Jesus name we press on. Dear Lord with the prize, clear before our eyes, We find the strength to press on."
That is the perfect companion to the sermon and Hebrews 12:1-3. I love it when God perfectly pieces things together like that.
Endurance - it is learned only through the storms isn't it?
~Shanna~
YES! We hate it at the time but we love it when it's done. It's a lot like the feeling I get when I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to go work out at the gym. I hate it. But I cannot tell you the awesome feeling I have when I am walking out of the gym after a hard workout.
You can't get one without the other.
-John
I understand what you mean, it is a very good feeling knowing that you've done the right thing - and most of the time the right thing is the hard thing.
It happened to me again this morning. A song spoke perfectly to me in relation to Sunday's sermon and the entire book of Hebrews. I LOVE it when that happens. As I've said before and I'm sure I'll say agin, not much speaks to me more than music does.
~Shanna~
John,
Perseverance always brings to mind a quote from Fredrick Von Hugel, "It is far, far more God who must hold us than we who must hold Him." What a wonderful thought that even (especially?) in those times when I feel like throwing in the towel I am firmly anchored to God by his promise and purpose (Heb. 6:17-20).
Hang in there with the snow. It's sunny and in the low 60's here today. ;-)
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