A long awaited vacation had arrived and I was ready. It was my plan to kind of right the ship and straighten some things out with my free time. I had kind of slipped into some old habits that I had tried to change so I figured this time would be good to get back into the ways I wanted to go. At least, that was the plan.
One thing that I am passionate about is weather photography and videography. I can't seem to let a good storm slip by, but I had little inklings in my head to stay at home instead of traveling out. This was going to be difficult since severe weather was in the forecast for the whole week. I wanted to go out badly, but that inner voice kept saying no. I watched as online people I know were out catching once in a lifetime twin violent tornadoes, and knew that I could have been there. But, I had just had the feeling not to.
After a couple days of watching this, and the threat being closer to home, I decided to go out. I still had the inner voice saying no, but I just kind of half ignored it and figured on a short tentative trip. I would just drive a few hours, see some storms and be home in the wee hours of the next morning.
One thing about storm chasing is that you get a lot of time to think... at least I do since I chase alone. I sometimes spend that time thinking or talking out loud to God. That is what I started out doing as I drove off. The main thing I kept thinking is that I want to hear from God, and hear directly and clearly from Him. I would like to hear His voice clearly and distinctly without any doubt about whether I was just thinking to myself. I truly want to know God better.
As the day wore on I just kept on driving. I kept trying to listen for God, but was not really hearing Him. my mind would wander about a little, but I really did spend a bit of time trying to listen, almost pleading to hear from Him. It really was not anything specific I wanted to hear, just a burning desire to hear, to have a closer relationship with my creator. I often long and ache for that. I want to be told what I should be doing. I suppose I was having an ecclesiastical moment where I was looking at life and all of its vanity. I want meaning, purpose and direction.
After about 4 or 5 hours I found myself half way across the next state and it was closer to get to the storms than to return home. Tornadoes were starting to drop and I might have a chance to make it before dark; so I kept driving. I was too late and too dark to see tornadoes but was treated to a fantastic light show and was around 2 tornadic storms. I was still getting the feeling that I should have stayed home though.
The next day the forecast was the same so I decided to stick around. A friend offered to feed the cat, so I seemed to have the green light. It was going to be a great day of storm chasing, or so I thought. In reality it turned out to be one of the most frustrating chase days I have ever been on.
In the morning the car battery died. My fault really, but I did get a jump rather quickly. I took a nap around noon parked in this church parking lot only to wake up with the car full of biting flies. It took hours to finally get most of them out of the car. I did not notice the moths, but I am still getting them out of the car 3 days later. I thought I only had one, but I believe I am up to 4 now.
The next thing that happened was the forecast changed some and pushed the threat further away, but I decided as ling as I was there; so I started heading out. I was using the map to plot a course, but the map could not tell me what was in store. I was following the highway and entered a town. Next thing I knew I was on detours and surrounded by water and sandbags on all sides. A dam had broken and a levee gave way and the entire town had been flooded... well, the parts that were not sandbagged. I could not cross the river there... or in fact hardly anywhere. I had to backtrack 30 miles before I found a way across the river.
On the way I decided I might as well document some of the flooding. I stopped at on flooded out crossing and was taking pictures of the creek that was now a lake when I heard this cracking sound. Yep, someone was out shooting. I began looking around and then saw a splash and heard a crack again. Then I saw two old folks in their back yard shooting. I doubt they knew they were shooting in my direction, so I high tailed it out of there.
The floods and the dilly dallying cost me a chance at more tornadoes. I finally made it to the area just after dark and the storms were dying. I started heading back. I was watching the lightning from tornadic storms about 40 miles to my NE as I drove down the highway when I believe God spoke to me. No it was not audible as I had asked, but it was unmistakeable and a clear thought in my head and feeling in my heart that goes right along with scripture. I could almost feel my spirit leap at the thought and I had to write it down right away.
"If you put as much effort into serving Me as you do pursuing your hobby, amazing things will happen."
I know that to be so true. If only I got as excited about going to fellowship with other believers like I do when I know storms are going to fire up. If only I so anticipated seeing or hearing my favorite preachers TV or radio show as I do about watching shows on the weather. If only I got as jacked up about reading the word as I do about reading the weather forecasts. If only I was as urgent in alerting others of their spiritual dangers as much as I am about warning them about dangerous weather. My life would be completely changed.
What are you really passionate about?
1 comment:
No doubt you heard that! I thought of Psalms 37:4. Delight thyself also in YHWH; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. When He is our absolute first thought and main priority, we discover the interests we have are actually a part of His purpose for us.
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