Storm Warning

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly… 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Streaking from the dark clouds above, a lightning bolt struck the center of the empty soccer pitch with my daughter’s team playing on the next field. When the referee refused to stop the game, another off-duty ref agreed to help and we ran to the officials stand.

The officials agreed to stop the games, but their method was far too slow. Riding a golf cart from field to field of the large complex would never send the kids to safety in time. As fast as I could run, I returned to my daughter’s game and told the referee to send the kids to the cars. One after another, girls sat down to pull off shoes, socks, and shin guards in the pelting rain, lightning crackling overhead. Yelling to leave their things and run, we finally cleared the field.

Drenched and breathing hard, I ran to my own car, satisfied that everyone was safe.

“Mom, are you crazy? Did you ever think you might be killed?” My seventeen-year-old daughter’s indignant tone showed both concern and embarrassment at my rampage to clear the fields.

Never once did I feel concern for myself. All my thoughts were for others in danger from the fast-moving storm. “No.” I replied. “All I thought was that those kids might die. I’m an adult, and I know where I’m going when I die.” 

People die every day without the certainty of heaven. Our world belittles Christians but fails to heed the call to salvation. They are quick to blame God, but slow to approach him for help. In recent years, natural disasters and attacks by dangerous and depraved men have rocked our world. There is no safety, and often no warning. It’s more critical than ever for Christians to speak out about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

How many would find salvation if I proclaimed the gospel with as much fervor as I stopped those soccer games? What if Christians gave no thought to their reputation or the reaction of others in order to warn others of the approaching storm of judgment?

I must determine to live each day in the light of the Cross. People’s lives depend on it.

© Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, October 10, 2015, October 13, 2017

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with her, you're invited to follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon. 

Affliction

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Psalm 102:25-27 

I feel afflicted and weak from time to time, in body, but also in my spirit and soul. What struggles frighten you and make you feel inadequate? We tend to act the way we feel, and allowing inadequacy and fear to take hold makes us weak.

A weekend trip to Colorado reminded me of just how small and insignificant I am. The mountains stand strong, robed in majesty, as they have for centuries, a testament to the power of the God who “laid the foundations of the earth.” God is so much greater than I am.

 Recently, I experienced a setback in my plans, a rejection of years of work. I felt weak, insignificant, inadequate, doubtful, and uncertain of the future. It reminded me of how small I am and how many people are better and more capable than I am. Surrounded by successful, confidant people who won awards for their work, the rejection of my own efforts was even harder.

The part of Psalm 102 that struck me almost as much as the word of the psalmist himself was the note my NIV Bible placed at the beginning. “A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.” I was allowing myself to feel afflicted when, in spite of rejection, I received another opportunity and an unexpected blessing. God never leaves us at a dead end. He always has something else waiting up ahead.

Just as those mountains showed me how small I am in the scheme of things, they reminded me of how great my God is all of the time. The mountains will not stand forever. An earthquake could destroy them in seconds and God will someday bring them crashing down to be replaced with something better. However, the psalmist goes on to say that God remains the same forever, no matter what happens to His creation.

If you struggle against fear, inadequacies, and insignificance, look to your Creator. He has a plan for you, and He will see it carried through to completion. All that is required from us is to take the opportunities offered and do our best, seeking God’s help. He will never let us down when we are trusting in Him. He will offer another path. Look for it and go forward in His strength. I may feel afflicted, but God never fails.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, June 23, 2017

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About the author:

Norma Gail is the author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, winner of the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with me, I invite you to follow my blog, join me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon. 

An Ever-present Help

 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…”

Psalm 46:1, 2

My husband’s arm came across my chest with a whack. “Hold on,” he shouted, “we’re going to get hit!”

I looked up from my reading to see dust and debris flying through the air and a car heading across the wide median of the highway and both north-bound lanes of traffic. The other vehicle was in the median. The highway was littered with the remains of what had once been a pick-up camper.

We were not hit, and after calling 911, I went to see if anyone was hurt. As a former RN, I hoped to be of use. The passengers of the vehicle which caused the accident were unscathed. Two occupants of the camper wandered around in a daze, the young man saying, “We were just going down the road—and bang! I don’t know what hit us!”

Virtually all that remained was the cab of the truck and debris. It looked like the aftermath of a tornado, pieces of things were littered about for some distance, most unrecognizable.

An old woman lay on her side on the dirt, conscious, but in obvious pain. I began questioning and examining to determine her needs and sent my husband to find something to cover her with. We located her oxygen, and her breathing began to ease. Whatever she had been lying on was gone. A few ragged sleeping bags were found to warm her and soon the paramedics were there.

As Christians, we need to live in readiness. Death, illness, accidents, the loss of a job, a friend who needs help or a chance to witness, each day brings unexpected challenges. What I did for that woman came naturally.    

In the same way, I must be so familiar with God and His word that even if the foundations of my world shake, I respond in readiness from being trained in the scripture. ‘

Believers must be prepared in the knowledge of God so that a rapid response is possible. We must be prepared when someone near needs spiritual help.

Don’t neglect time in God’s word every day. We never know when it will be necessary to be God’s hands and feet because someone is shaken to the very foundations.

© Copyright by Norma Gail 

Norma’s passion is sharing Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living.  Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 18 years. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the newly formed New Mexico Christian Novelists. Her website, www.normagail.com, includes a weekly devotional blog, daily scriptures, poetry, and a blog about her debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico.

She lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 37 years. They have two adult children.