Although I admit I previously had a post written for today and set to publish this morning, I decided to type a last-minute blog after a chain of events this weekend.

On Saturday night, I met up with my small group at Clement Park for a potluck. We had a plethora of delicious food (chip dip made of white corn!? So good.) Can jam kept the guys occupied, and we were surrounded by mountainous views. We all got to know each other a little bit better through this fun event. Yet at about 8:30 p.m., the winds rolled in, and the storm clouds that had hid behind the mountains throughout the previous hours now rolled above our park shelter.

We packed up our belongings as fast as we could and fled from the storm.

Then on Sunday afternoon after church, my fiance and I road bikes through Waterton Canyon. Wow; it was so beautiful. There was something about the flowing water alongside us, the rigid rock ahead and behind, and the presence of my best friend that created the perfect ride. We spotted long-horned sheep, snapped photos, and enjoyed the blissful moments. Yet about 5 miles from the parking lot, the dark clouds rolled above us, the winds picked up, and the dust from the road flew in every direction. Yes, I even had some gravel in my teeth. (The wind was powerful to say the least). So we picked up our pace and made an attempt to flee the weather yet again.


But we got caught…in the wind…then the rain…and then the hail.

Yes, it hailed on our bare skin, and as my arms turned red, and I felt the cold ice balls hit my body, I screamed and laughed and maybe said some not-so-good words. It was crazy.

We arrived at our car as the peak of the storm hit. I took shelter in the 4-Runner as Adam loaded the bikes, and then we were safe…inside a car…away from the hail.

It was through the last two days that I was reminded that many storms quickly roll into our lives. Sometimes we are able to flee before even getting rained on, other times we escape in the middle of the storm, and well sometimes, there is no escaping. There were plenty of people still on the road/trail who needed to find a space to take shelter; they simply had to wait out the storm.

I may not always know when storms will arrive or what they will look like. I may make attempts to flee, but like the weather, we do not usually have control over the other storms in our lives.

When we face difficulty and sadness in life, it can hit hard. And we may find ourselves running or biking as fast as possible trying to escape, but then learning that the hail will touch our skin either way.

I am not sure what it is you are going through right now. I am not sure if you are even in the midst of a storm, yet I do know that if you are in the rain and can’t escape or flee, you have a safe place. You don’t need to run miles to the nearest shelter. God is with you now, everywhere, at any moment.

When you can’t flee from disaster, flee to God. In fact, flee to Him either way.

God is our safety. He loves us and forgives us and comforts us. He knows us and leads us.

With Him, you don’t need to pack up yourself and run.