Praise in the storm

We're looking into the idea of praising in the storm, that idea that no matter what comes, one can praise God.

I think the most incredible moment in scripture, well, in history I guess, comes in the Garden. When Jesus had his moment of both clarity and wishfulness, the kind most of us have on a daily basis. He had his once. Today the Garden of Gethsemane is a little thing with a few olive trees. One suspects it was much bigger then. But the issues, the questions of that moment are no different than today. Will we bow to the will of God or will we not?

In Matthew's account, Jesus said it this way three times: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

THREE times. This was no easy equation, no easy moment. He sweated blood he was so upset.

None of us want the storms. I think that I can say that without much argument, although some might say the storms allow them to grow so bring them on but I believe when it is all said and done, they are just like me. Heck, just like Jesus who said Father, if you have another way to do this without me going through the beating, the stabbing, the mocking, the crucifying, well, go right ahead Daddy.

No, we would prefer to be stormless.

But since that seems to be without possibility, the next notion is to praise Him even when the storm comes. In other words, "Yet not as I will, but as you will."

There comes that moment in all of us when we have to decide, can we do that, can we ask that and finally will we?

Praise Him even in the midst of stuff. That's, I think, a cornerstone of both peace and life.