Hope and Hurricanes

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV).

The sun rising over the gulf from the Galveston seawall with the 61st Street fishing pier in the background is spectacular. It is one of those places on the island that everyone visits when they spend any time there at all. It was one of the places I knew best growing up on the island. My grandma and many of my relatives lived close to that spot on the beach. It is a wonderful place today. However, I can also remember a time just after Hurricane Carla devastated the island when it was little more than a few pilings jutting above the waves. I’m not sure anyone could foresee it being rebuilt to its present form then. When we are living the transformed life of resurrection, stuff still happens. And it’s in the stuff that we come to see whether we’re living as redeemed people or whether we’re just putting on a good act. It is so important to recognize that Jesus’ resurrection has empowered us to be patient in affliction. The Apostle Paul wrote, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:2-5 ESV). Yesterday we saw the transformed life allowing us to be joyful in hope, today we see the power to be patient in affliction. The two are connected. I have been through my share of stuff and used to joke that if suffering produces character, well, I’m quite a character! Eventually, the humor wore off and I got tired of all the bad stuff that happens. That’s when I dug in deeper to be patient in affliction. That’s also when the comfort of Christ was strongest in my life. If you’ve just had a hurricane in your life be committed to be patient in affliction and you, too, will know the comfort Jesus died to give us. He is the God of all comfort for all those called into this transformed life. The beauty of the sunrise will be a part of your life again.