One evening this past summer we were out at the lake when a fierce storm arose. Heavy rain, strong winds and hail. We were very glad to be in our cottage and were concerned about anyone who might be camping out. A tent is not a good place to be in a storm.

I experienced that once. I was travelling with some friends through Wisconsin and late one evening we pulled into a private campground. The sign on the office said park anywhere and so we did. We found a lovely patch down the hill beside a grove of trees. We did not know that 50 feet away was a small creek. We did not know that this small creek would become a river if it rained for three days in a row. We also did not know that it had already been raining for two days.

I pitched my little pup tent and settled in for the night. About midnight it started raining hard, and after a bit my tent began to leak. I gave up and hastily retreated to the car. One of the fellows was already in the back seat so I hopped in the front and propped my feet on the dash. We were soon joined by our other friend. Just before dawn my foot slipped of the dash and made a strange sound. Sploosh. Water was coming in the car. I quickly started it up and drove further up the hill.

We stood in awe and watched this sudden unexpected river flow past us. Where my pup tent was the water was at least four feet deep, and I had to wade out to save it as it started to drift away. We weren’t sure if we should laugh or cry. We could only shake our heads and be glad that it had at least stopped raining and that the sun was shining. Within 24 hours the river was gone and the little creek was back to what it had been before. We recovered a few more items caught in the branches of the trees, dried everything out and went on our way.

These days it seems that a lot of people are worried that a storm is coming. It may be a natural storm, or it could be political, economic or social one. Whatever it may be, many are worried about where they will be when it hits. Will they be safe or will the storm wash everything away? The funny thing is when the coming storm hits, it won’t matter what you are living in, how much wealth you have, or how prepared you think you are.

It will all depend upon relationship.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians: 1-10