After the storms... Reflections of God's Goodness

I guess I'm going to post this because it just feels like the right thing to do. It's 1:00 am and I'm sitting here trying to peer through tears at a computer screen. No, I'm really not that strange; I'm just blessed to the point that sleep eludes me and emotions seem to flow over.

Some of you remember that our Church was totally destroyed by Hurricane Rita. It was a devastated mess and everything that I had poured myself into for so many years as a Pastor seemed eternally mingled with the ceilings, sheetrock and 18 inches of water inside the building. All that was left was the outside brick walls.

The last year and a half have been the most frustrating time of my Pastorate here in that the storm drove us from our building into a tent for about 3 months... then into a smelly sanctuary that took about 8 months to remodel due to the perpetual arguing with our insurance company to pay us.

Eventually they paid us most of it (more is supposed to follow) and we made plans for a new Sanctuary. Our intention was to take the old building and use it for a fellowship hall where we could at least have Church and now, after a year and a half, only the old Sanctuary and a few offices are remodeled and fit for use as we are paying for this as we go. The rest (Sunday School Department, for instance) is cleaned up and ready to remodel at a later date (thats right, no Sunday School in a year and a half).

God has carried us and, to be quite honest, it's almost like my own heart has been on 'auto pilot' as we waded through the storms and inevitable 'fall out' that the storms bring. The people have been faithful and we've lost very few and, in fact, gained some great folks.

This past week we've been busy from sun up to sun down. After so very long of waiting, and wondering, and worrying, and wishing... it seems like everything came together in a 'tangible' way this week.

Tonight I stood on our newly poured foundation, reaching down to touch the very spot where my pulpit will stand and I'll preach to these faithful Saints that call me Pastor. I walked off the foundation and across the field to my home and, on my way, walked by the metal, delivered yesterday, for our new 500 seat sanctuary.

Monday the building starts going up.

Perhaps I'm just overwhelmed with God's goodness tonight. Looking back over the spiritual storms that followed the storm called Rita I have to confess that God's goodness is both humbling and awesome.

My family closer to God than ever before.
I Pastor the greatest Church in the world.
I have a calendar full of meetings giving me the opportunity to meet great people.
I will be a first time Grandbuddy in less than two months.
My wife is incredible and has faith in me, my ministry and our God.
My oldest son is my Assistant Pastor and great used in the Gifts of the Spirit.
My youngest son is now Evangelizing with doors opening on every hand.
My baby, a daughter, is gifted musically and scholastically.

The storms aren't pleasant. The pressures are sometimes painful. But standing after the storms I can tell you that my view isn't bitter or offended at Deity. Rather, everywhere I look I can see reflections of God's goodness to me.

The very Apostles that walked and talked with the Almighty saw something in the storm that amazed them to the point they said, "What manner of man is this!" The storms, inevitably, opened their vision to a new dimension of an already beloved Savior.

Much the same way I can proclaim for one and all today; I am blessed and, even more, I now know the "Blesser" in a greater way.