the most thundering time of year..

christmas has always been one of my most cherished times of year. it’s that time where school’s out.. the food’s incredible.. and the songs are just flowing. it’s that time of year where the entire family takes time from their busy schedules to come together and celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. i can not stress how different christmas was for me in brasil. aside from God, family is the single most important thing in my life. and every year around christmas time we have a week or two filled with family gatherings. christmas eve is spent with one side of the extended family while christmas day is spend with the other. this year.. we had neither. christmas day was spent with 38 new friends most of which i’d never met before. christmas eve was spent with my adopted family. although it was good it wasn’t the same. i was missing my family.. friends.. and the snow in vancouver when God reminded me that He was there.. and even though friends and family are important God is the only constant in my life. He’s always been there and this christmas eve He comforted me in the strangest of ways. He made it rain.. it’d been the most beautiful of days. would work in the sun for half an hour to an hour and need a break or be devastated. in the evening i was sitting on the veranda looking over the jungle when the clouds came in.. they covered the entire sky and within minutes one of the most spectacular things i’d ever seen occurred. heat lightning. for seconds at a time red lightning would light up the sky. it would fly in horizontal shapes thru the clouds and light up the entire property. following this the most spectacular thunderstorm i’d ever experienced materialized. bright lightning shot across the sky lighting up the entire property as though it was day time. the wind was howling and the rain was pouring down in buckets. as everybody went inside i had no choice but to worship. i grabbed the guitar and praised my God with a ferocity i’d been missing over that past week. it was an incredible time of refreshment and remembrance of who my Saviour is and what He did and does for me.. as i remember that night i’m filled with joy and amazement at who Jesus is.. among so much more.. the only constant in my life..