Beautiful day but Mother Nature has turned the thermostat way up. Summertime in the South, the heat slaps me in the face as I open the screen door to the porch. Penelope’s tongue is dragging as we walk down the broken sidewalk next door. I’m burning slap up! It’s hotter than the devil’s armpit! It’s hotter than Georgia asphalt! I’m sweatin’ like a hog! Do hogs sweat? I don’t know. Love those southern expressions. But, beg your pardon, I think Alabama asphalt is hotter. I’ve stepped on it barefoot enough at my mailbox to know.

Looked up northern colloquialisms for cold weather. They didn’t have any interesting hot weather ones. Loved these two — Colder than a brass toilet seat on the shady side of an iceberg and colder than a well-digger’s rear end. Gotta laugh at those. The really good ones I’d be ashamed to quote except to my dearest friend. We had a good laugh about them in our phone conversation tonight.

The heavens just thundered and silver raindrops fell from the sky but the glorious yellow sun is holding forth. I know the hot landscape and all the vegetables are thanking God for the cool drinks of water. The thunderstorm clouds, purples and dark grays, have now gathered together and a heavy rain is pouring down. I’m watching the bamboo enjoy their showers, getting ready to dance in the wind and slap high fives. When the storm lifted the sky was beautiful, the sun a glorious ripe peach rolling down the horizon, kissing goodnight the watercolored crowns of the remaining clouds.

Read this on one of my friend’s Facebook posts. It’s a pretty good definition of what defines faith — “Faith is not about asking God to stop the storm; faith is trusting that he will help you get through it.” We really have to have faith to weather the storms that interrupt life. When Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee the disciples were astonished that the wind stopped and the waves were still. After calming the storm, Jesus asks his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” His rescue of the disciples showed Jesus has power over nature and the chaos of life’s storms. Faith can be powerful when we truly believe in God’s love.

Webster’s Dictionary defines faith as something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in and loyalty to God; as well as firm belief in something for which there is no proof. I don’t need proof of God. I see him in the beautiful sunsets. I converse with him in my prayers. I hear him in the songbird and wind chime melodies. I feel his love from family and friends’ hugs. He’s calmed the winds in my storms and held my hand when I needed comfort. He helps pull me up when I can’t stand on my own. I’ve seen the power of faith and prayer working in my family.

Our faith has the power to bring peace and calm even in the midst of life’s trials. We pray for a miracle and our faith gives us hope. We have to prayerfully ask God to help us navigate our way. Our faith doesn’t assure us the storm will stop. Our faith assures us that we can always trust God to be present with us during the storms. In life’s insurmountable challenges God is standing right beside us, grasping our hands as we face the storms. Faith is not about avoiding life’s hardship but trusting and relying on God while the storms rage around us.

“Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all seems lost.” — Catherine Pulsifer