Red Sky At Night

When you see the weather reports from distant lands, somehow the storms don't seem so bad. They're just videos of storms. We don't "experience" them. We just watch them. Until one comes rolling down the street where we live.

We had a line of thunderstorms go through our area last night. The sky turned a greenish-grey, street lights came on it was so dark. And then the wind. 60 miles per hour we heard later. Where would we have been without weather radar. We knew well in advance that the storm was coming.

We had an opportunity to prepare ourselves. We put things away in the shed, carried potted plants into the garage. By the time the storm hit we were safely inside, watching from the comfort of our living room chairs. But sometimes storms can hit with little or no notice at all.

Sailors have a saying, "Red Sky at morning, sailor's take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight." A "red sky" is caused by the sun's rays reflecting off the bottom of clouds. In the morning the sun is in the east. In the evening the sun is in the west. Most storms move from west to east. A red sky in the morning means a storm is coming. A red sky at night? It means that the storm has passed and the sun has come out from behind the clouds.

I have a friend from work who went through a nasty divorce. Her husband came home from work one day and said, "I'm leaving you. We're done." My friend had no idea that storm was coming. It hit with a suddenness and surprise that left her reeling.

Are you going through a storm in your life right now? Maybe someone else you know is having a "red sky" morning" as they try to navigate through some personal storm. Or maybe it's us? What do we do?

First, when we see the warning signs we must act. Maybe we take steps to strengthen our relationships. We must examine ourselves to make sure it's not us that's causing the problem. And then move to change things.

Another thing we can do is prepare for any "life storms"  by reading the Bible. There are many helpful verses that can encourage us as we ride out the storms we face in life.

Prayer is a great way to navigate storms. There are just some things we can't fix by ourselves . . . most things. Praying to God, the only one who can repair the unfixable or heal the incurable, is a mighty weapon against any storm.

Delight in the "red sky at night," Jesus. He is The Light at the end of the tunnel. There is shelter from the fiercest storm in Him. Run to Him!

We can be a light in someone else's life as well. Part of the reason God called us is to help others. We should be helping our brothers and sisters as they struggle and as the storm clouds gather.

May God watch over you. May He keep the storms we face from causing too much damage. And may He see us all through our storms . . . to a brand new day.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

"34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35

Red Sky At Night - David Gilmour