“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King, Jr Last spring my family and I went camping at Caprock Canyon State Park in the high desert of West Texas. Caprock Canyon is a beautiful area with vivid red and orange mountains that shoot up out of the ground. When contrasted with the big blue skies of West Texas it is a beautiful sight to enjoy in wonder. Another thing I loved about Caprock Canyon is that it always made me think of God as a painter with all the colors and light He used in this ever-changing masterpiece. Before we went camping I made a point of checking the weather to see if any storms were forecasted during our trip. The forecast was clear and I thought we were free of the dangerous West Texas storms that are known to pop up out of nowhere. I thought wrong. We were enjoying a campfire as the sun set over the canyon ridge. As the sun lowered we could see some very large thunder clouds coming our way. Suzy and I had to make a decision. Do we stay or do we go? Are we on high enough ground if it starts to rain? What do we do if there is a tornado? We prayed as we faced the storm and we decided to stay the evening. Midway through the night, I remember being awakened by the loud crash of thunder. As my sleepy fog turned into a moment of clarity I could feel the whole canyon reverberating from the lightning strike. Then the rains started to come down on us. When in the desert flood waters rise quickly. This thought worried me as I thought of the safety of my family. As I surveyed the storm and our options I kept praying that God give me guidance to know what was best. Then the rains fell harder and the lightning strikes became more frequent. I prayed in the darkness of that storm. I tried to appear calm for my girls and Suzy. I called out to God for help as we were safe at the moment but didn’t know if that would continue being the case. Then, the water started to pool around our tents as the rain waters slowly percolated toward the creek. I remember praying harder and in a moment of very real anxiety... the park ranger appeared. This man had some good news! A message that gave me hope and comfort. As the ranger spoke he told us that as long as our tents weren’t leaking we had nothing to fear, we were on high ground and the storm was almost over. Hallelujah! With that message of good news, a light was lit in the darkness of the storm and I had a renewed sense of calm. I praised God for His protection and also the park ranger. This week we will be continuing our Jonah: A Book of Opposite Stereotypes sermon series with the story of Jonah in the belly of the big fish. We will be focusing on what to do when we are in trouble and in the darkness of despair. We will learn lessons from Jonah’s experience within the stink of the fish. May you and I know that God always provides a moment of clarity for us in the face of trouble. Grace and Peace, Pastor Geraldo
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Jonah: A Book of Opposite Stereotypes: Blog One (Link)
Jonah: A Book of Opposite Stereotypes: Video One (Link)