"They knew nothing about what would happen to them until the flood came and took them all away."  Matthew 24.38

Learn the lesson of the blue sky!  Some people can read a book

and get it,  I need to have it hanging over my head day after day!

Over the years God has used the blue sky of a perfect day, to

teach me an important truth.  I'll show you what I mean...

My first story of perfect blue skies takes place in Florida.  It's not

uncommon to see blue skies there,  but one memory stands out

in my mind:  The days before Hurricane Andrew hit.

The storm was still quite a distance from land, but local television

coverage was mounting.  Not that many natives were very worried

about it.  "Yeah, we've been through this before." 

Still, people boarded up there homes and businesses.  And waited.

I couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was outside.  There was

nothing to indicate a hurricane looming offshore.  Just a lot of talk

on TV that the storm was out there.  They were talking, but nothing

was happening.  It was still a few hundred miles from land I guess;

and we waited days.  Finally they told us it was much closer,  that

it was kind of hovering out there off the shoreline.  But you'd never

have guessed it by the weather!  The sky was blue;  it was a beach

day!

As I watched the TV,  I recall looking out the window at a blue sky 

and feeling the breeze!   For all the concern,  you'd never guess

anything was coming.  

But it did come.  And when it came, it slammed us.  

And I've never forgotten that lesson:  Things are not always as they

appear. The days before the storm were beautiful.  You'd never guess such destruction was right around the corner. 

Since that time I've pondered this about life:

"Just because the weather's nice, doesn't mean a storm isn't on the way"  

Years before I was living in Wisconsin.   It was also a beautiful day.

I'd heard a myth for years, that my hometown was basically tornado

proof because we had a large lake that sucks the life out of twisters.

As I walked down the sidewalk that afternoon,  I had no reason to

believe a storm was on the way...the skies were blue!  Needless to

say, our town wasn't tornado proof.  Twenty minutes later I watched

a tornado pass across the fields from where I stood.

I would never ever have guessed a storm was on the way as I walked under blue skies.

And then I remember the day my stepfather died.  That was also a day of brilliant blue skies.  I remember waking up that morning thinking how absolutely beautiful the day was.  It was one of those days that are about as perfect as you can get.  Until my sister called to tell me my stepfather was gone.  

And two weeks ago, another morning to remember.  Summer was

coming to an end, and fall weather was in the air... my favorite season.   As I drove my wife off to work I was thinking, "What a perfect day!"  The early morning sun was breaking upon my face, the sky was turning a beautiful blue,  when I was suddenly stunned.

As I turned on my car radio I heard of a plane crash in New York.

I quickly drove home and turned on the TV set.  I saw the buildings

towering into the same blue sky we had here.  Smoke rising, and

thousands of papers floating to the ground.  And I could not help but

think of all the other blue sky days I have seen.  Every one of them

tells me that we never know what a day's going to bring forth.  And

each one reminds me that Jesus is also coming on a day and hour

when we do not expect Him.

"If you have never come and bowed before Jesus Christ, I urge you to do so. There are many links on the site that explain why this is so important, and how you can do that.  This is the most important decision you can make.   I strongly urge you to consider the uncertainty of life, the certainty of death, and where you will spend eternity."