"'Til the Storm passes by"

I love it when  something reminds me of a song.  It you know me very well at all, you know that happens all the time.

Like most Northeastern Floridians I am spending today watching the sky.  From my kitchen window, I see branches, leaves and moss swaying in the breeze.  Every now and then rain splashes on the walkway.  It's a dreary, but gentle sight.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not just daydreaming.  I've done my due diligence in preparation for the storm that is on the way.  I have gas in my car, cash in my pocketbook, a thermos for coffee and my bathtub is filled with water.

Unless the Gulf stream waters push Matthew further out to sea our area will be the object of that hurricane's power.

Which brings me to the song.

It has been more than 40 years since I first heard:

"In the dark of the midnight, have I oft hid my face
 While the storm howls above me and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry
"Keep me safe til the storm passes by".

The chorus goes on

"Til the storm passes over, til the thunder sounds no more, Till the clouds roll forever from the sky; Hold me fast last me stand in the hollow of they hand...Keep me safe till the storm passes by."
("Till the storm passes by" - Mosie Lister)

HUM - did I mention that today is so dreary? Or that there's a tall oak tree in the next yard that night not withstand the winds, or am I far enough from the river so that no flood waters will effect me and how long will we be without power ?

This morning I read a devotion called "God is in the clouds".  It was written by Tracie Mills and it's a part of the Real Life Devotional Bible for Women which is published by  Proverbs 31 ministry.

Her words were related to the cloud that positioned itself over the tabernacle where the Israelites worshiped as they were wandering 40 years in the wilderness.  Talk about feeling bleak and unsure about their future. ( For more about this you can read the book of Exodus).

To paraphrase Ms Mills - Sometimes there are clouds all around us (this day the whole sky seems to be a cloud) so we think there is no sunshine but there really is....we just can't see it.

So what am I to do?

Believe God is present and He will guide me ... no matter how dark the skies are today!  That's finding sunshine (I know that sun is there some place) in spite of shadows,