Storms

You cannot fight the fierce gale. All you can do in a whirlwind is seek shelter. The farmers and ranchers in the wide open spaces from Texas north to Nebraska dug storm shelters near their homes like the one you see in “The Wizard of Oz.” When they saw or heard a “twister,” the family piled into the manmade cave and closed the door until the howling wind subsided.

Storms are a part of life wherever you reside. They come upon us suddenly, topple our favorite trees, and damage our homes and businesses.

I grew up listening to a popular gospel tune, “When the Storm Passes By,” published in 1958 by Mosie Lister. The last part of the chorus, sung in four-part harmony by some then-renowned quartet, went around and around in my head: “Hold me fast, let me stand, in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep me safe till the storm passes by.” The voices stopped suddenly on “safe,” just for a second, and then came back to finish the line.

Some things are just gone after the storm. We cannot find them let alone repair them.
Whirlwinds are terrible, but they make good parables. Proverbs 10:25 says, “When the storm (“whirlwind” in KJV) has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”