I had thought we may just slide by this Spring. We had had several storms with buckets of rain but no hail or high winds. Remarkably no tornadoes were even mentioned.

I caught myself complaining about all of the rain and cloudy skies and then became ashamed because we have been in a drought in Texas for many years. We need rain more than we need oil and/or gas wells.

So I began praising God for the gentle rains and thanking Him for the nourishment of healthy rain falling from the heavens to nurture my gardens.

Then a couple of days ago the storms started getting fierce; high winds and hail were reported. God has been so consistent in protecting me from nature’s devastation. Even my mother said that when she was watching the weather she could see that where I lived it seemed as if the line of storms was thin. When He protects me in this way I feel His love as if He is a nurturing Father who is constantly on the watch for me, His daughter.

I started thinking how wonderful God has been to me throughout the years. I have always been protected from hail and tornado devastation as far back as when I was just a child.

But what if He hadn’t? What if my house was the only house for miles which got pummeled by hail that was the size of oranges? What if my house was the only one ravished by a tornado and all other ones still had every shingle? How would I feel then?

Would I doubt His love? I believe I would but should I? Is His love so tied to my things that I can’t let go of them if He chooses to take them away from me?

If my house was harmed in a hail storm or a tornado would that mean that He had stopped loving me?

The greatest act of love that God has ever done was to sacrifice His Son for my sins. No tornado, hail or thunderstorm can change that. Nothing ever will. It is the greatest sacrifice of love ever given throughout all of history.

I am deeply grateful for the blessing of my beautiful home, my car and my amazing children but these are all things which have been given to me in addition to the greatest gift. The greatest gift is the blood of Jesus which covers my sins and allows me to be in communion with God on a daily basis. There is nothing that can rip that from my heart nor tear that love from my soul. That love is what brings me joy every morning and that is the source of my humble praise for God.