Thunder Storms

There seems to come a point in our Christian life where God seems to stay silent. As if he purposely is choosing not to talk to us, not to guide us, not to listen to us, not to hold us, not to care for us. During these times we find ourselves earnestly seeking, earnestly searching, earnestly listening for that small whisper that we can't seem to hear. And we ask

"God, where are you? What did I do? Please God. Please just come back. I miss you."

During the times when I think that God is the most silent I think he indeed is whispering "I AM HERE!"

I wonder if the distracting things of life are what keep us from hearing Gods voice when we need to hear it the most?

Our minds get weighed down with the thoughts of "how are my bills going to get paid. What about the car? Where is the deposit money going to come from? Who will be my friend?" in such a way that our thoughts of God become distant. Are thoughts of once praise for the sake of praising become wanting to praise for the sake of God doing something in our favor. Our thoughts of God being sovereign become distant because if God was really sovereign wouldn't he be doing something to help us get out of our desperate situations?

Somethings i've learned at Vintage about God is 1. God doesn't have to and 2. God is always near.

I think of Rob Bell's Nooma video called rain where he gives an illustration of being in the middle of the woods with his son during a thunderstorm. Running through the woods with his son whispering in his son's ear.. "Daddy's here."

Now you should know that God didn't take the thunderstorm away but in the midst of that terrible dangerous storm he allowed Rob to have one of the most trusting, bonding, and beautiful experiences with his son.

There have been times in my life where God didn't take the thunderstorm away, such as when my grandmother was dying of cancer. In many instances he actually made the storms bigger. However, in the midst of those thunderstorms he was whispering "Daddy's here." And in those thunderstorms God allowed me to have some of the most trusting, bonding, and beautiful experiences with him.