i'm missing you...

To truly be missed is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Especially when you've only been gone two days...

It is a powerful and wonderful thing to place yourself into the hands of the Living God.

I was made aware of this fact when I was abruptly woken from the most beautiful of sleeps by a crash. And the shaking of the large windows above my bed. I could feel the noise. Now, my rational functions are not very coherent early in the morning at the best of times and being in a strange [though vaguely familiar] place did not help. A thousand possibilites [one of them involving terrorists] bounced around in my head, and it took a flash of light to realize what it was that had crashed my slumber party. Not terrorists, Em. Storm. Thunderstorm. Complete with rain, howling wind blowing the palm trees violently, and, what do you know... thunder. Oh. Well, that's alright. I love thunderstorms.

They are, however, meant to be shared and having a king size bed and most of the house to myself was...not unnerving. Just...disappointing. A thunderstorm of such lovely magnitude had not been felt since I was spectator to a tornado-spawning storm in northern Alabama. [now that was the coolest thing ever.]

It was loneliness, not fear that made me bury my head underneath the covers. I wished for my sisters, my suitemates, my girl friends, anyone to share this spectacular display of God's power. But I was alone. So I lay there enjoying the flashes and corresponding sonic waves, said a prayer and felt very greatful for the protection of a strong house and lots of covers, and then fell asleep listening to the hard rain on the roof.

The next time I awoke, I wondered if I had imagined it all. The sun was shining on a nearly spotless sky, the palm trees out my window were swaying gently to the music of the breeze, and I could hear the roar of the excited soccer fans at the nearby school. Only a few stray puddles left on the sidewalk convinced me that it had been real.

Lord, renew me as You use the rain to renew the Earth. Strengthen me as You strengthen the walls of this house. Shape me as You cause the trees to bend with the wind, not break under pressure. And use me like You use the sun to clear away the darkness in the lives of those around me.

please, come home soon.