I arrived home yesterday evening just as the thunderstorm was beginning to move through. As I pulled into the driveway I witnessed the ominous clouds moving closer. I stepped out of the car to the gusty wind and an overt drop in the temperature. I stood there watching as it started to sprinkle. As it began to rain harder I moved indoors and witnessed the opening of the floodgates from the front window. And as all storms do, it eventually (after almost an inch of rain) began to dissipate. But in its wake, was left a spectacular double rainbow. If you live in or near Lubbock, I hope you were able to witness the stunning promise of God’s goodness.

Yesterday’s event was a good reminder of life. There’s either a storm brewing, we are standing in the middle of a downpour, or having passed through the storm we can look back and see God’s goodness.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul reminds us that we will occasionally find ourselves in the middle of the storm. But the promise is that when we are caught in the downpour, God is right there with us! Paul says that “God comforts us”. Literally, He comes along side us. It’s the same imagery used in John 14 when Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit being the comforter. The Holy Spirit comes along side us. If you are in the middle of one of life’s storms, imagine God being right there with you. You may not always feel like He is there, but He is – guiding you through to the rainbow on the other side!

Paul goes on to say, that when we come out on the other side of the storm and can see the rainbow – God’s faithfulness and His goodness – we are to use that experience to help others who are going through a similar storm. It might be the pain of a broken marriage, a prodigal who hasn’t returned home, a friend’s betrayal, the loss of a job, a devastating medical report, an empty bank account, or the loss of someone close. While we didn’t necessarily choose to pass through any of life’s storms, on the flip side we are able to see how God was there to comfort us in the middle of the storm. And we are encouraged to help others make it to their flip side as well.

At the end of the day, if you can use the lessons of one of the storms you have gone through to help someone else going through a similar storm, you have beat the odds!