So the kids and I were at Eastlake High School today practicing baseball.
Now, you need to know that when we left our house it was clear and sunny.
Sure there were clouds but they didn't look too threatening.
We made it to the field, unloaded the gear and began throwing the ball around.
By the way, I am constantly impressed with the throwing arms of the kids.
Even Shealyn packs a hearty fastball! After about 20 minutes of playing catch and working on some basic fundamentals, we decide to hit some fly balls.
I back up about 200 feet and begin hitting balls into the air.
So much fun! There's not much more activity a dad enjoys than playing ball with the kids.
I didn't even notice that the sun had retreated behind the clouds and wind had begun to pick up.
I glanced over to the parking lot and saw this wall of white.
I was impressed with the speed of the wall and how organized it was.
Little did I know this wall was strategically planning its attack on us.
So as I'm running to get a stray ball, I make the decision to get the kids to the car as fast as possible.
Well what usually would take us 3 minutes took us 10.
The hail was blowing sideways and into our faces.
I was walking backwards with Shealyn burying her face into my stomach to keep the hail from smacking her in the face.
I'm telling you, these hail pellets were the size of Jelly Beans.
And they were blowing sideways!! They hurt! We made it to the ½ way point, the bathroom and took shelter.
It was then I noticed that Blake wasn't with us.
He had run off in a panic.
I look around and notice that he had made an attempt to make it all the way to the car, brave, but not the best choice.
Especially since I had the keys and he wouldn't be able to get in.
I make sure the other kids know to stay here and I begin sprinting to Blake.
This is like a scene from Twister...
I make it to Blake, he's crying, scared and really mad.
He says..
"I hate this weather", I agreed.
I then carried him back to the bathroom where we waited out the onslaught.
As I was standing there recalling all that had just happened, several life principles popped into my head, way too many to list, but there was this one that really stuck out.
Yup, key the cheesy music.
I've noticed during the past 2 years of my life that the storms don't and won't stop coming.
How I navigate through these storms will determine the severity of struggle in the next one.
Blake, bless his heart panicked and ran off.
He left the security of his dad.
I yelled for him, but he kept running.
Zach, Patrick and Shealyn stayed with me and were escorted to relief.
When I found Blake, he was scared, angry and crying.
I thought, this is how we end up when we try to conquer our storms on our own.
Right? Have you been there? I have! There have been several times I the past 2 years where God had to "come find me".
I ran from His protection, thinking that my way was the best.
Wrong! Simply not true.
So, what' the point here? It's simple really; don't take your eyes off of Jesus in the midst of our storms.
Often times we like to blame him for our storms, as if He's the one who's responsible for our circumstance.
I know I did, I spent about 2-3 months pissed at God.
How could He allow this to happen to us? After all we did for Him; He does this to me, so not worth it.
I was alone, scared and angry.
It wasn't until I relented from my resentment and sought out His voice that I found "shelter".
It didn't take the sting of the hail away, but it helped heal the wounds.
I wonder what would have happened had I taken Shealyn's strategy, burying my head into the chest of my Father, would things have gone a bit differently...
Don't lose sight of Jesus! He's there with you, guiding you, guiding me.
Yes, life hurts a bit right now, and hope might be far off, but the promise of Jesus is still good.
He will never leave us! He never goes anywhere; it's us who run off.
He's a constant.
If you are like me and have chosen to run off, turn around, it was the best decision I made.
The strength and love He provides is tangible and endless.
Now, you need to know that when we left our house it was clear and sunny.
Sure there were clouds but they didn't look too threatening.
We made it to the field, unloaded the gear and began throwing the ball around.
By the way, I am constantly impressed with the throwing arms of the kids.
Even Shealyn packs a hearty fastball! After about 20 minutes of playing catch and working on some basic fundamentals, we decide to hit some fly balls.
I back up about 200 feet and begin hitting balls into the air.
So much fun! There's not much more activity a dad enjoys than playing ball with the kids.
I didn't even notice that the sun had retreated behind the clouds and wind had begun to pick up.
I glanced over to the parking lot and saw this wall of white.
I was impressed with the speed of the wall and how organized it was.
Little did I know this wall was strategically planning its attack on us.
So as I'm running to get a stray ball, I make the decision to get the kids to the car as fast as possible.
Well what usually would take us 3 minutes took us 10.
The hail was blowing sideways and into our faces.
I was walking backwards with Shealyn burying her face into my stomach to keep the hail from smacking her in the face.
I'm telling you, these hail pellets were the size of Jelly Beans.
And they were blowing sideways!! They hurt! We made it to the ½ way point, the bathroom and took shelter.
It was then I noticed that Blake wasn't with us.
He had run off in a panic.
I look around and notice that he had made an attempt to make it all the way to the car, brave, but not the best choice.
Especially since I had the keys and he wouldn't be able to get in.
I make sure the other kids know to stay here and I begin sprinting to Blake.
This is like a scene from Twister...
I make it to Blake, he's crying, scared and really mad.
He says..
"I hate this weather", I agreed.
I then carried him back to the bathroom where we waited out the onslaught.
As I was standing there recalling all that had just happened, several life principles popped into my head, way too many to list, but there was this one that really stuck out.
Yup, key the cheesy music.
I've noticed during the past 2 years of my life that the storms don't and won't stop coming.
How I navigate through these storms will determine the severity of struggle in the next one.
Blake, bless his heart panicked and ran off.
He left the security of his dad.
I yelled for him, but he kept running.
Zach, Patrick and Shealyn stayed with me and were escorted to relief.
When I found Blake, he was scared, angry and crying.
I thought, this is how we end up when we try to conquer our storms on our own.
Right? Have you been there? I have! There have been several times I the past 2 years where God had to "come find me".
I ran from His protection, thinking that my way was the best.
Wrong! Simply not true.
So, what' the point here? It's simple really; don't take your eyes off of Jesus in the midst of our storms.
Often times we like to blame him for our storms, as if He's the one who's responsible for our circumstance.
I know I did, I spent about 2-3 months pissed at God.
How could He allow this to happen to us? After all we did for Him; He does this to me, so not worth it.
I was alone, scared and angry.
It wasn't until I relented from my resentment and sought out His voice that I found "shelter".
It didn't take the sting of the hail away, but it helped heal the wounds.
I wonder what would have happened had I taken Shealyn's strategy, burying my head into the chest of my Father, would things have gone a bit differently...
Don't lose sight of Jesus! He's there with you, guiding you, guiding me.
Yes, life hurts a bit right now, and hope might be far off, but the promise of Jesus is still good.
He will never leave us! He never goes anywhere; it's us who run off.
He's a constant.
If you are like me and have chosen to run off, turn around, it was the best decision I made.
The strength and love He provides is tangible and endless.