Day 4 of our first winter storm continues. Thunder and heavy rain last
night, as we watch the news we see how unprepared, and at least to me how under
engineered we are here in San Diego. Any other place I have lived, they dealt
with harsh weather, New Jersey was famous for raining on weekends, –40 in
Colorado we were ready for it, and high wind with heavy rain would greet us in
Albuquerque, a true sign that spring was just around the corner. But still if
my memory serves me well, I remember flooding on Route 22, where the hills had
shopping centers build on them, pavement replacing trees, and when it rained,
only the center barrier on Route 22 held back the tide, until it spilled over.
And on one harsh spring day, ran over the top, flooding the basement truck court
where I worked at Sears, and Keith, a guy I worked with got caught in raging
water and drowned when his car was swept away. Coming home one Christmas we
arrived back at our cabin at Vallecito Lake, only to find ourselves snowed out,
96 inches in 96 hours, 8 feet in four days. After digging our way in, the porch
door was swollen shut, a hot water pipe had a pinhole leak, steam bath inside,
–30 just the other side of the door. And my first winter/spring in Albuquerque,
selling motorcycles at Motorsport, in a modern all glass building, watching as
mud balls hit the windows sounding like bombs, shaking but not breaking,
engineered because the engineers knew of the spring’s temperament. Add in a
tree falling on our school bus in first grade during a Jersey hurricane, and at
my first job being caught in a flash flood, riding the tide of a swollen stream
for almost a mile, ending up in a newly formed pond on a baseball field. So
these 4 days should not amaze me, but I am now So Cal adapted after 28 years,
and miss the sun. I have become a weather weenie, I moved here for the weather,
and now it has let me down. I stand in my garage surrounded by motorcycles
crying out to be ridden, hoping for a sun break, a common word in Portland, but
instead watch a rain set to the west.
Now under prepared is normal, but under engineered bothers me. When the
San Diego River floods at the hint of rain, why isn’t or wasn’t something
designed around it better? All the low spots, like underground garages, where
is the drainage system? Why can’t they build buildings that can handle it? And
as I watch sewers overflow from being blocked, and 97% of El Nino going out to
the ocean, why aren’t our engineers and planners doing a better job, their job?
Certainly rain is not a new concept here? Or are we all weather weenies, and
live life based on normalcy bias, a psycho babble term for since it never
happened to me, it won’t happen to me. As the storm rages on.....
Jesus caused quite a storm when he threw out the money changers in temple.
Imagine being a disciple, knowing of Jesus’ peace and love, yet see him
exploding in rage, anger without sin, at the moneychangers. Endearing himself
to the Pharisees at the same time. The temple was holy, maybe they were afraid
of guilt by association, that would come later. Maybe they were embarrassed,
this isn’t the man we told our families and friends about. He did it by
himself, apparently without provocation, was this the man they believed was the
Messiah? Could they have been wrong?
Maybe Psalm 69 ran through their hearts, and they began to understand, if
only a little. “Thy zeal for they house has consumed thee,” King James tells
us, and it burned Jesus up, consumed him, and caused him to act. You see God is
not gracious about sin, only the sinner, and will not tolerate it in his house.
And we are the temple the holy spirit dwells in, and he will not compromise with
evil. He brings on storms against sin, but brings a peace into the sinner. And
here for maybe the first time, it became evident to them that when Jesus comes
into your life, be assured he is not going to leave you as he found you. You
will be better, as even in tough times, all things work out for our good. Says
so in Romans, quote Paul on that. And he knew tough times, imagine if Jesus had
left him as he found him? Or you?
Too many new Christians see Jesus as having a sheep under one arm, and
touching people with the other. As a chorus of Cum By Ya echoes in the
background. But he is already changing our lives, salvation the first step, and
don’t confuse his patience with delaying. We are works in process, and without
a firm foundation you cannot build a strong home. A fact missed by the planners
in San Diego. Where the same floods occur in the same area every year. If only
they were guided by God....So don’t mistake patience for acceptance, Jesus
Christ changes lives, at his pace, with your best interest at heart. If we
refuse to go with his changes, we become like the flood zones here,
overwhelmed. And suddenly we can see why he chased the money changers out. The
temple was set up by God to worship, a special place, not to be abused, or
neglected. In times of trouble a refuge from the storm. Take note, the storms
are here, and Jesus is our only place of refuge.
There is a sun break just behind every rain set, and God knows it. Rather
than seek refuge in the planners, find refuge in Christ. He controls the
storms, and sends a rainbow after to autograph his work. No cleaner air than
after a storm, or bluer skies. No fresher winds than after, funny how in one
case they can bring disaster, in another peace. The peace we seek is only found
in Jesus, and he will drive the moneychangers and sin from your life. He
resides in your heart, and will not share sin with it. Would you really want a
God who would? Who couldn’t conquer sin and replace it with forgiveness, hope,
and love? When the moneychangers were gone, the people could worship in
freedom. Even then freedom came with a price. And it took the man/god of Jesus
Christ to do it. God will chase sin from your life, on his terms. So get on
his terms, and watch as sun breaks turn into Son breaks, and rainsets turn into
Son sets. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. God give us eyes
to see things as you do. And thank you for not leaving me as you found me.
Amen? Amen.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com