09/06/2017
I am reminded this morning of two situations that have happened in my life that have defied my logical mind. I share this because of all the prayers being sent regarding hurricane Irma.I will start with the second situation first. Back in 2010 when Lisa and I managed the Love Your Neighbor Downtown Farmers Market, we had around 80 vendors setting up and the forecast was for possible rain. A storm suddenly developed and it appeared that it would certainly swamp the event. It was large and heading directly towards the market. Lisa called me as I was heading in and we prayed that the storm would disappear or split. Half believing, I continued into town when I realized that it should be raining yet it was sunny with a bank of clouds to the east and one to the west that met somewhere in the south. The storm had actually split and we had sunny skies for the entire duration of the market. Once everyone had loaded to go home, the rain began. I was reminded of what happened in 2003 and felt as if I was being told "Oh ye of little faith."In the summer of 2003 after attending an evening study at church, a group of us climbed onto the roof with a telescope in hand to view Mars as it was the closest that Mars would be to earth. As we were setting up, a cloud appeared in what began as a clear night. As it grew and intensified, it became clear that it would obscure our ability to view the planet at its closest point. I mentioned to the associate pastor that Jesus told us that we would do things greater than He and that He commanded the storm to stop and it obeyed. We should be able to do the same if not more and I half jokingly waved my arm at the cloud and commanded it to move. We finally had everything ready but by this time it was obvious that the cloud would be directly in our path but when I looked up, the cloud had shifted dramatically to the west allowing us a clear view. After we had all had the chance to observe Mars and were unpacking, I looked up. Lo and behold, the cloud was exactly where it should have been had it continued on its normal path as if the phenomenon never happened.I silently asked the LORD why He would answer such a seemingly insignificant prayer and move the cloud and the answer I heard was "To show you that I could." We were all in awe as we departed for home and on Sunday, our associate pastor led the service. He spoke about the faith of a mustard seed and then messaged that he had witnessed an example. He shared our experience with the congregation stating that " Callea's faith moved a cloud". Of course my logical mind rebelled even though I had visible shared evidence both times. It rebelled last night when we prayed for this storm to move early and out to sea. Although we are days away from the possible impact, when I checked the model this morning, which had clearly shown a path up the spine of Florida last night, the new model now indicates the storm path has moved a hundred miles to the east, over the Atlantic Ocean and will apparently miss the state entirely.I have seen countless prayers answered over the years, yet my logical mind is always battling with the visible truths wanting to claim them as a coincident. I for one am tired of my own lack of faith and never want to hear "Oh ye of little faith" again! LORD I believe, help me with my unbelief!
"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
