What we do in life echoes in eternity

Day 21 6-7 Friday So like I said for Thursday's climb we got to watch a electrical storm out over the water. But that is nothing compared to the awesomeness of the storm that I experienced on Monday. Monday evening I got to see the most amazing lightning storm ever. It was an hour of treential down poor with lightning electrifying the sky in every direction, and bone rattling thunder. The thunder roared down on us as if we stood on the floor of the colosseum some 1900 years ago waiting to fight lions. At times the lightning was so close it hurt the eyes and the thunder was defaning! It was amazing! The best part of it was that I spent the entire time on the 4th floor balcony with one of the U.S. students who lives on the forth floor getting absolutely drenched, enjoying the awesomeness of the storm together and chatting. For a while I wasn't really sure what was so amazing to me about storms but as a stood on that balcony with my face turned towards the sky letting the rain drops drum on my face it became apparent to me. It might be there power and awesomeness that they exuded, or maybe it is our total inability to do anything to stop Nature. What ever it was before, I know now what it is, and again my insight came from a chapter of Seeing and Savoring, this time Chapter 5, The Power of Jesus Christ. That day sitting on the beach Tuesday in Vernazza as April read the chapter to me that those feelings that I remembered feeling, during that fire in Wenatchee, the scenes from "Hurricane on the Bayou," and that thunderstorm, that is God, having to knock us back down a few pegs. Though he is a loving God, he does get angry and frustrated, especially when we do sinful things and act stupid. Like a good father does, He punishes us from time to time to let us know that it is not okay. From time to time we need a reminder about who is in charge and who is the all powerful one, and unfortunately the only way we seem to get it is when something beyond our controll happens, like a Natural Dissaster, or a big storm. God created everything there is an he has power over everything, the winds and the waves included. A lot of times people ask why do "bad" things happen to "good" people? Well I think that the best answer to this is illustrated to us in the book of Job, and is a story about some of the suffering Job went through. Job had just lost all ten of his children at the same time and soon he and his wife were both ridden with boils, and while his wife cursed God for what had happened it says that Job fell to the ground tore his robes, shaved his head and started to worship God! Job also says this to his wife, "Shall we indeed recieve good from God and not adversity?" (Job 2:10). This is very true, and when we look at the new testiment we see much is written on suffering. One of my favorite verses on suffering comes from 1 Peter 4, versus 12 and 13, which tell us not to be surprise if we are going through trials but we should instead rejouce that we are chose to suffer as Christ did. It also later talks about that we should suffer not for doing ill works but for doing good, because this glorifies God. Part of this glory of God, is that he is omnipotent and truealy has pwer over everytihg. Job 37:9-14 talks about how God controlls the storms and weather it is for correction or for love he causes it to happen and we should stop and consider the wonderous work of God. That is why I love storms so much because they reveal the Power and glory of God. Of course these stroms can bring about death and destruction, and devistation, but it is in these times we must ask ourselves. "Will we worship or will we curse the one who rules the World? Shall SInners dictate who should live and who should die? And say like Job 'The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:20-21) "The storm doesn't knock down the tree it only reveals its weakness"