The Sandstorm
“His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.”
I came across this clip from BBC's Desert Seas, and you can watch it here (minute mark 17:10-20:35). I thought showed such a unique look at the aftermath of specific storms. We often hear lessons from the boat on the sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm: Jesus is with us in our storms, He is sovereign over the storms, and so on. These lessons are of course, valuable and necessary.
There are other storms to consider, though, in the Bible and otherwise. This particular clip shows a sandstorm in Saudi Arabia that sweeps across the desert into the Gulf. The storm disrupts the land and surface waters but also has immense impact deep below. And so we are introduced to new questions: What happens in the aftermath of our storms? What impacts do our storms have on the inside of us? And we might even wonder, what if God made the storm?
On the surface or dry land, sandstorms are blinding and painful. It's hard to breathe in them. Any productive movement seems impossible. But under the water, something amazing is happening: Life-sustaining nutrients fall to the floor from the sand above. They are necessary for growth in the sea. Plankton are swept in with dust. An entire ecosystem comes to life because of the storm up above.
So, if you are in a storm right now, know that something is taking place in the depths of you right now. It's terrible on the surface - you may feel blinded, stuck, and unable to catch your breath. But there is something huge stirring within you - growth will result, and parts of you are receiving the necessary nourishment for full restoration. It may be painful to think about God causing or being in the storm. We don't understand it, but His plan is always better than ours. Without the storms, we would starve, become stagnant, or even die (spiritually speaking). So, take shelter, hold tight, and take a deep breath. This storm is going to make you live again.