Living Life In Between the Waves

Living in South Bend, Indiana has its unique challenges. Great town! Great people! Great environment and yet there are challenges. The snow season has kicked into high gear and in order to survive it, one must learn how to live in between the waves.

We receive "System Snow", "Clipper Systems" and "Lake Effect Snow". System Snow is the mildest of the three. There is advance warning! It won't stay around long and usually it won't leave too much precipitation, maybe 1" to 3" inches.

Clipper systems are seasonal, usual coming from November through February. They are fast moving, can appear out of no where, not much if any notice and can be very intense in a short amount of time leaving large patches of precipitation.

Lake Effect Snow is the worst of the three. It is a dumping! Large amounts of snow that never seems to end. It comes in waves and depending on which way the wind blows, it can miss you to the east, miss you to the west or it can hit you dead center. As of this blog writing for the season we are at a snow total of 14.5" inches of snow. Watching and dealing with this snow gave me a Word for someone.

Many times we hate the season of our lives and we pray for God to change the season. We groan, agonize, plead and fast for God to remove/change/alter the season, when God is trying to teach us how to live in between the Waves.

For some it is cold in your lives, no warmth, no sun, just cloudy cold days where you wonder will it ever get better. It does. IT IS IN BETWEEN THE WAVE. During the winter here, we may go 30 to 40 days without the sun shining, however even in between the clouds, the sun is so powerful, that even when the clouds won't leave, there are times the sun leaves an indention where the "GRAY BECOMES BRIGHTER". It's isn't the sun, it isn't clear skies but it is a reminder the Sun is still there. Gray becomes not as gloomy, not as dungy, GRAY BECOMES BRIGHTER.

There are times we need to remind ourselves that even when the clouds in our lives won't roll away, God is still powerful to shine through the clouds and leave an indention.

There are seasons in our life where it looks like it won't stop snowing, raining, storming, thundering, precipitation won't end. How do you live with it. The first year here in South Bend the winter season yields 119" inches of snow. Last year, it yielded 78" inches of snow, so far this year 14.5". Someone asks how do you do it? It's easy, you live in between the waves.

It changed my spiritual live when I realized this in my natural life here in town. IT DOES NOT SNOW ALWAYS. It only seems like it does but it will stop. YES, more is coming, YES, more is on the way, YES, it is only a temporary break, but IT IS A BREAK. During that break, we dig out, we shovel through, we make room, we clear space, so that when the next snowfall comes, it doesn't stack higher than we can see.

God always gives you a break in between the waves, so I don't need Him to change the seasons. Yes it would be nice, Yes it would be great, YES I WOULD LOVE IT. But I waste time arguing with God to change something that is due to the season I am in. It won't be 80 in the winter, it won't be sunny during cloudy times, it won't be dry in the middle of rainy season, so just find your IN BETWEEN WAVE.

It's the place where I find peace WHILE the storm rages, it is the sanctuary I worship in WHILE trouble is all around, it's the hiding place I rest WHILE my enemy is trying to subdue, it's the pocket of praise I find in the middle of my hell, it's the encouragement in the Lord that strengthens me so I can deal with the next attack that is coming.

Sometimes between the 6" inches of trouble that you are going through now and the 12 inches of desperation that will follow that and the 8 inches of disappointment that is the after affect of that, it's tempting to ask, plead, fuss, cry out to God to change the season but God can teach you how to live in between the waves. Dig out, shovel through, climb over, burrow out. LIVE LIFE IN BETWEEN THE WAVE

OWENS