The Night the Lights Went out in Spartansburg

One night, while we were watching television, all the power in our home went out. Then we heard it, the high winds whistling around our house. The wind was blowing with such intensity that it blew off some treetops and whisked them over into the neighbor's yard. Soon we saw flashing emergency lights. We thought perhaps there was an accident somewhere, caused by the weather. We quickly located flashlights in a couple of drawers downstairs. The wind picked up and it was at this time I remembered that we had more flashlights upstairs. I bounded up the stairs; as fast as a fifty some year old lady can go. Grin. I located the flashlights and was starting down the stairs when I heard a frightful noise. I went to the window and peeked out. I didn't see anything, but the rumbling freight train sound continued. It shook our house. What I heard mad me think this must be a tornado. As I continued looking out the window, I didn't see anything in the blackness of the night. I hollered the question to my husband, "I wonder if we are having a tornado?" We had not seen any warnings on television. I was wondering, "What gives?"

Our phones were still working, so we called various family members and asked if they had seen any warnings. They hadn't. About ten minutes or so had passed before the winds died down considerably. It started to rain. The rest of the evening was uneventful, even though we were without electricity for a few hours. Later, when we got power again, we learned that in some areas they had winds as high as one hundred miles per hour!

When we were without power, we sat at the table and read by candlelight. Soon we started talking with each other about the Lord's protection. The discussion centered on how we have been detained over the years from arriving at certain appointments on time. Also, we thought about the many times our precious plans had been derailed throughout our lives.

We both remembered an incident several years before when we were planning a trip with family members. We were upset because they were late. Our attitudes were shameful to say the least! Such impatience on our part! Later, we discovered that if we had not been behind schedule, we would have been in the heart of the worse tornado that ever hit our area. Thankful? You bet! And we learned a lesson that day. For everything there is a reason, a time and season. Now we stop and ask ourselves the question, " What is the reason for certain difficult situations, instead of becoming upset or angry?" Sometimes we find out later, as in the case of the tornado, but many times we don't know the reason.

Because we do not have the power to know the future, nor would want to, we need to learn to lean on God more. It is better to accept certain circumstances rather than work ourselves into frenzies because our cherished plans were detained or derailed.

I read this verse awhile back and it stuck with me. Acts 1:7 "And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has put under His own authority"

God has a plan for all human beings and He tells us not to be worrying about the future and what it is going to bring. Obedience to Christ in our daily lives without complaining, initiates God's perfect plans for our lives. It doesn’t mean that God will prevent us from having to go through bad stuff. He just says He will be with us. It is up to us to obey and follow Him. God knows what is best for each particular life.

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