I will never forget.

It rained and rained and rained that day. I don’t think I had ever seen such a continuous downpour that lasted for two whole days, starting on May 1, 2010.

By the time all the rain ended, much of Nashville was under water.

I remember seeing news footage of a portable school building floating down the interstate, carried away by flood waters.

I remember after the waters receded, I saw a message spray painted on a garage door that said, “Storms Leave. Love Shines. We Survive.”

And we did.

I haven’t heard one mention of that infamous 1000-year flood that hit the Middle Tennessee area. But that’s probably because I haven’t watched much TV at all today.

But I still remember. That was a day that Nashville made all the major news outlets, but not for any sports-related or music-related reasons.

We did survive. So many rallied together and volunteered and helped to clean and restore and rebuild. We came together as a community in the days that followed. I wish we could recapture the unity we had then.

Hopefully, it won’t take another natural disaster or other tragedy for Nashville to come together again. Maybe this time it will be true revival.

It’s easy to trust God’s hand in everything in theory, but it’s another when it’s in real life. In my current career transition, I’m finding out that it’s one thing to say I believe God’s promises are for me when everything is fine and dandy but quite another when life gets difficult.

But I have learned over the years that the more I can truly trust God and His promises in everything, the more I will see God at work in everything. The more I will see that God works all things together for good.

It’s easy for me to feel sorry for myself and invite myself to my own pity party, but then I see where others have much more joy in the midst of much more difficult circumstances. So many are dealing with the sickness and death of loved ones, financial hardships, and other crises that would likely make me fold like a cheap card table. Yet they remain joyful.

That should inspire me to take heart. The same God that is with them is with me. The same sparrow that clothes the lilies of the field and cares about sparrows knows my name and is not about to leave me abandoned but will surely provide in His perfect timing. My job is to be faithful and ready when He shows up.

On this day in 1971, one of the greatest albums ever recorded was released by the one and only Carole King. I think if I had to pick a desert island record list, this would be on it without a doubt.

It’s the perfect rainy day record. It sounds better when it’s colder outside, I think. I don’t know if I’m the only one who thinks this way, but certain kinds of music lend themselves to different seasons of weather. You have your Beach Boys for summer and obviously your Christmas music for winter. But I also believe there’s a kind of music that fits in with the autumn season.

This record doesn’t really have a weak song on it. Every single track from start to finish is solid and lends itself to a contemplative mood. This is a good album for listening to in the dark with headphones on or for playing in the background with a cat in your lap and rain falling outside.

I think just about everybody knows “It’s Too Late” or “Natural Woman” or “You’ve Got a Friend.” There’s a reason why this album went platinum many times over because it’s just about the closest we’ll ever get to a perfect record.

So I recommend dropping the needle on this one at some point today. Or you could pull it up on Spotify or one of the other newfangled streaming platforms. Just give it a listen, okay? You won’t be disappointed.

I think about all the times Jesus must have been exasperated with His disciples. Or at least I would have. I’m sure Jesus exhibited far more patience and understanding toward them than I would have.

All the times made it clear what was about to happen and they still didn’t get it. He practically spelled out the end of His life and resurrection, and got blank stares in response. They weren’t yet able to understand.

But when they saw Jesus taken up and then witnessed the Pentecost miracle, they got it. Boys howdy, did they get it. They got it so much they were revolutionally transformed into bold witnesses for Jesus who were each willing to suffer and die for the gospel rather than recant for a moment what they heard and saw.

These days, I may not understand what Jesus is up to in my life, but their witness tells me to hold on and have faith. They’d tell me to trust Jesus as they did when they didn’t understand. One day, it will all make sense. One day, it will be worth the wait. One day, the gray clouds will roll back and reveal the sunshine and all the longing and waiting will turn into joy and gladness.

Until then, I must learn trust in the waiting.

Tomorrow, I embark on a road trip. To be honest, it’s a short road trip where we leave on Saturday and come back on Sunday. But it still qualifies.

Back in ye olden days, i.e. before this year, I went through the arduous process of picking out road trip music for the journey. Now that the new car doesn’t have a CD player, that’s not an option. I suppose I could put together a playlist, but it’s not quite the same.

But I’ve got my Audible book ready to go. I’ve got the physical book I’m currently reading to take with me. I am mentally preparing for all the pit stops and bathroom breaks and snack breaks and meal pauses. It won’t be a short journey.

Thankfully, a 2-day trip means light packing, which is good since I haven’t started on the packing. That will be a first thing tomorrow morning thing.

And then the road trip starts. We will be off like a herd of enraged turtles mucking through peanut butter. But at least there will be progress.

…so, here’s the thing, God — just thank You for spreading
Your protecting shield over us at the end of the day.
[us]… You cover [us] with favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5
Just, really — thank You for shielding us tonight, so we can rest
and not be worriers —
because You are our protecting Warrior.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

#SharingPrayerTogetherToStrengthenEachOther

‘Give all your worries & cares to God, for He cares about you’ 1 Peter 5:7 (Ann Voskamp).

It’s easy to glibly quote the line from that famous song, “Don’t worry, be happy” when someone else is having a season of anxiety. Saying words is cheap.

But when it’s you facing fear head on, it’s another matter.

Sometimes, anxiety makes praying almost impossible. It’s hard to whisper supplications to God when it’s all you can do to breathe in and breathe out.

But the Bible says that the Holy Spirit can take even our groans and sighs when we can’t find the words and turn those into just the right words to reach the Father’s ears.

We have God’s promise that all things will work together for good. Not just the overall big picture but every little detail will fit perfectly into God’s design.

It’s not always possible to simply stop feeling fear or worry. But we can pray through it. We can trust through it. We can see that all fear has an expiration date and that hope is just on the other side. And God is with us through it all.