Thunderstorms in January

What a crazy morning.

As I walked the family dog this morning and the rain began to increase, I saw a flash in the distance. My first thought was, "there is no way in the world that could have be lighting." But I was proved wrong a moment later when a slow rumble of thunder rolled across the ridge where my apartment complex rests.

As I came inside, my daughter was quick to ask how cold it was. "5o degrees," I said, shaking the rain off my shoulders.

"Sounds like tornado weather to me," chimed my daughter.

"No way. Not in January." I tried to sound convincing....

A couple hours later, I'm in the office and just finishing Morning Prayer. Outside the rain and wind are churning. Maybe my daughter was right.

It doesn't matter today. On Sunday, I celebrated my first Eucharists with the people of St. Andrews, Fort Thomas. About five minutes into it, we all breathed a sigh of relief and since then my mind and heart have been at peace.

I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous. So was the congregation. It has been many months leading to this moment. Plenty of time for anxiety to take root. But all of that has been cut down, and what remains is future and a new chapter yet written.

So although there might be thunderstorms outside on this January day, I can't help but think of God's hand of providence (so beautifully carved in the reredos above the high altar at St. Andrew's, and seen in the picture above). It seems God is still at work in this world, though sometimes it might be hard for us to see it. And it's good to remember that even though the storms might blow around us, God's hand is there to shelter and guide and bring peace.

Sicut flumen pax...Peace like a river