Storms

I’m introducing Norma Gail who is one of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolina’s popular authors. She shares some thoughts today. Norma Gail has recently lost her voice temporarily and yet her writing voice is loud and clear. She has written a beautiful story that takes place in Scotland! Thanks Norma Gail for visiting my blog today.

Storms

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm. Psalm 55:8

The house juddered with the crashing thunder. Lightning brightened the room, sparks visible through the wide, old Venetian blinds.

My mom yelled that she smelled smoke, and I heard the unmistakable kathumping of my dad hopping upstairs on his crutches. “Downstairs girls. Now. The storm must have knocked out the electricity.”

Obedient to his authoritative voice, my three younger sisters and I huddled in the middle of my parents’ bed. All I could think of were my glasses, laying on my nightstand upstairs.

“Out of the house, girls.” My dad, his leg broken in a recent accident, waved a crutch. “Go next door. I’m calling the fire department.”

“There’s a hole in the house!” Someone yelled, as we ran through the pelting rain. Without my glasses, all I saw was a fuzzy dark spot above my sister’s window.

The jolt of the lightning consumed the oxygen and prevented a fire. The morning sunshine and my reclaimed glasses, revealed a gaping hole above the room next to mine. Bricks from the chimney were missing and half the house was without electricity.
Storms are inevitable. Accidents, death, illness, job loss, all make indelible marks on our lives. We seldom have time to prepare for the storms that impact our lives the most. Whether or not I could see, the damage would have been the same. Recognizing a threat is no guaranty we can avoid it. It is important to know where to go for help before the crisis hits.

Though storms often take us by surprise, they never surprise God. He uses them to instill split second trust and obedience in times of danger, just as I obeyed my dad when my sight was impaired.

The middle of a crisis is often too late to seek help. Reading God’s word every day, allowing it to sink into my heart like a gentle summer rain, enables me to respond in faith when the unexpected occurs. Praying on a daily basis, and learning to listen for God’s voice builds a strong fortress around me before the trouble arrives. Even if I’m powerless against the onslaught of trials, I have assurance of God’s control when my world falls apart. Taking refuge in the arms of God is easier when I’m walking close to His side.

© Copyright Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, June 9, 2016. Used by permission.

About the author:

Norma Gail is the author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 40 years. They have two adult children.

Connect with Norma:
Website: www.normagail.org
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Norma-Gail/e/B00ILHXBAK/
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2
Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864?ean=9781941103173