The winds here have been CRAZY! It's difficult to even walk around camp and it's brutal on someone who wears contacts! It was even so bad last night that it knocked over a rather large tree here at the camp.....it landed right on top of one of our storage shed/bunk house, completely destroying it. Most of the time, this building is just used for storage, but other times one of our faithful volunteers stays in it. It's equipped with a bunk bed, small fridge, etc and Chuck(the volunteer) likes the "rustic" living condition it provides for him. He is simple guy with a huge love for the Lord and a great work ethic.....a real blessing to our camp. He has been away for a couple months to help others and was supposed to be back by now....unfortunately (or at least it SEEMED unfortunate) he has been delayed because he is getting a biopsy done on a tumor they found. That has been a sad blow to us here and we have been praying often for him and this trial. But as you can guess, we have found the "blessing" in all of it because obviously, if Chuck had been here and in his beloved bunk house, he would have very likely been killed.
Of course, the "lesson" I see here is how God is in control of everything and His hand is touching every aspect of our life..... the wind that blows right past us as we are out walking, the delays and interruptions that often fill our lives, even the tumor that showed up on the MRI. I am reading a book about "attitudes" right now and just finished up the chapter on thankfulness....and was challenged to really ask myself if I am thankful for ALL things. If I'm not, it's usually because I don't understand it, I disagree with it, or I'm fearful of it. Watching that tree fall and seeing the results have reminded me of the "perfectness" of God's plan and His complete control of ALL things.
Thank you Lord, for your protection of Chuck, for your faithfulness to us every day, for the wind, that now reminds me of your promise to work all things for good.....amen