Hokum, hokum

We in the South are picking ourselves up and wiping ourselves off this morning after a horrific series of tornadoes, storms, you name it and it came yesterday. We are quite used to it, I'm afraid, as these warm air, cold front gatherings seem to happen more often than they used to. It's always a bad sign when someone from the Weather Channel arrives in your town in preparation for a weather event. 

Duck and cover, boys and girls. Duck and cover.

But afterwards, what do we do? What is our next action?

Last night, as the temperature plummeted like Jeb Bush's chances of being president, we conducted a Bible Study on living in the wilderness (and coming through it at the end). One of the things we asked was what do you do when you've made it through?

As Christians, it seems to me, we have all the answers to all the questions life gives us. Oh, I'm not being cocky or arrogant; in fact, I'm being the opposite. Having the answers doesn't mean I don't forget them when the wilderness is growing dryer or darker. It means, simply, that I know Jesus Christ is the answer to the questions humanity throws into the sky, even as the sky darkens. It means I can find peace and serenity when life is throwing fastballs at my head. It means I can find peace and serenity when the wind is picking up the carport and letting it down a couple houses down the street.

It means that even when tragedy strikes, I know -- not believe -- that God has already walked that valley of death before me, thus peace and serenity that can't possibly be explained walk with me into that valley.

Sounds like hokum, but it's not. I promise. It's not. It's God, and God sometimes has the unbelievable method of sounding like, seeming like, even being like a pick ol' pile of steaming hokum. But that's God, and his ways are not our ways. They are so far removed from our ways that our ways seem, well, human.

Our ways say we must blame and punish those who are against us so that we can get revenge. His ways say we must forgive so that we may be forgiven.
Our ways say we must do everything we can to get ahead. His ways say He has plans for us, plans to prosper.
Our ways say it is okay to lie and cheat. His ways say it is not.
Our ways say we must exclude, even going so far as to harm those who are not like us. His ways say we must love our enemies.

Sounds like hokum, but it's not. It's God. God is so different, I could take a whole blog to explain that if I could. In fact, seems like I'm doing that right now.

As temperature plummeted like Hillary's explanations of her e-mail account methods, we can be sure of one thing. Even when the Weather Channel folk show up in your town, God is already there. God is already providing, not necessarily protection even for those who are his own, the means to recover. God is already there helping those He loves, and those He really loves include even those who don't love him.

What's next?
God.
What's the way out of the wilderness?
God.
What's the answer?
God.

No hokum intended.