Small and scared

A damp downtown Harlingen

"The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever."
Isaiah 40:8


Small and scared

Last night there was a large thunderstorm that hobbled it's way across the Rio Grande Valley–deep south Texas where I live.   I know that some were not particularly looking forward to the rain.  I know a few who were not all that fond of the thunder; especially if they needed to get up earlier than usual this morning (cough, cough-Jennifer).  Thunderstorms are beautiful–as long as they don't directly effect my everyday life.  I mean who wants to be woken up every 10 minutes by thunder that rattles the windows and seems to vibrate the whole house?  Well nobody really.  But who can control such a thing?  No me–not you.  And that brings to mind something that we all know deep down.  Whether you love a good storm, or would rather it miss you just to the north, storms don't ask your opinion.  Storms don't belong to you.  Storms are big–and you are small.  I know because I am small with you.  Small.  That's a good word for it.  If you haven't felt small while a storm rages, a tornado looms, wind destroys, water eats away, and lightning zaps–well then you haven't been in a big enough storm.  Truth is it just takes the right weather to remind us that we are small and scared.

Yesterday yet another earthquake hit Nepal.  It wasn't small or scared.  It was a 7.3 on the Richter scale.  That's BIG!  Add 19 more people killed to the death count of the previous earthquake.  That's over 8,000 people killed.  If you don't remember what it feels like to feel small and scared turn on the news–feel small and scared for the people of Nepal.


Against the grain

Most days we would stand back with arms folded and snicker at small and scared.  But some days, different kind of days, we understand small and scared.  But let's not kid ourselves, these days are the exception.  Too often we are convinced that we are big and in charge.  In charge of our day, in charge of our circumstances, in charge of our breath and strength, in charge of our life.  We are in charge right down to the miniscule.  If you don't believe me go sit at Starbucks and listen to the audible *huff* of a patron who just found out that the supply of half-and-half has run out–and before you laugh turn to make sure that it's not me.  Truth is friends, we don't like to be small or scared.  We darn sure don't like to be small and scared.  Out of our control, well it's just not chic.  But sometimes the big and out of our control strikes us.  Sometimes it strikes us in a small way like wind, rain, lightning and thunder.  Sometimes it strikes us in a more substantial way like natural disaster, cancer, mental illness, war, or plague.  And when it does, we are made small and scared.  It goes against the grain.


Make room for "I AM"

I don't like small and scared.  I don't applaud small and scared.  Small and scared is not good by any stretch.  I do however find value in the small and scared moments of life.  Not because it puts us in our place.  Not because people need to be taught a lesson.  Small and scared is not something to play with; and it's not a romantic idea.  But when we are small and scared, we will do anything to be under the shelter of something that is big and strong.  There is only one thing, one person, one force bigger and stronger than the big scary stuff in life–God is bigger, God is stronger.   The children at our childhood ministry remind me of this often.  "My God is so great, so strong and so might, there's nothing my God cannot do."  When you are small God is big.  When you are scared God is steady.  Sometimes it is only when we are caused to shrink back and be small that God can fit, and sit in the comfy chair of our lives.  God being big to us is good for us.  Because it's seeing clearly.  Because God really is big.  He's the biggest.  In fact nothing is out of His control.  Not even that thing that has been continually rubbing your mind raw with worry.  I'm serious, He's huge!  When we see things clearly, not in a dark dirty mirror, we get a glimpse into Jesus' Kingdom.  A place where God is neither big nor small–He's everything.  Let's just be small and scared together when those times come.  And let's look towards God together when those times come.  Let's hide under under His roof together when the storm comes.

A guy by the name of Buddy Davis–who works with "answers in Genesis"–wrote a song with a line:

"I've often wondered what Noah thought, after the flood when he felt a raindrop"

-DK