Isaiah 43:2

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

How are we already in mid-November? In a few days, I’ll have been in Hawaii for two months. Months?! Time seems to fly here even more so than on the mainland if that’s possible. Being here these past two months, I have made a point to seek God more and to really lean into this journey and see what He has for me while I’m here. What does He want me to learn?

Like any new journey, this one hasn’t been without its bumps.

God’s creation here is purely stunning. I’m so thankful to get the opportunity to be here for as long as God allows.

While I’m surrounded by His beautiful creation, there are times where I’ve found myself comparing Hawaii to my family’s Caribbean vacations growing up. Where I’m currently located is near one of the top surfing spots in the world, and while it can be amazing to watch the surfers, the wind and water can be fierce.

Recently, I was at a beach with the main goal to relax and read. The sun was shining. The water a beautiful shade of turquoise. As I’m reading, the wind begins pelting sand at me. So much so, it becomes painful. I turned my body away from the wind to try to shield myself.

I can now report for that specific beach, I have figured out a way to not be pelted by the sand. Instead of being out in the middle of the beach with nothing blocking the wind, I tend to stick closer to the tree line. So far, it’s working!

Now you know a trick for an unnamed beach in Hawaii….maybe I should end the blog post here and leave you in suspense.

Ha! I couldn’t do that to you…

I currently work with special needs people. It has been a huge learning curve for me. I’m definitely learning more patience among other things.

I’m life sharing with the clients as well as a couple of coworkers. At times, I feel like I’m back in college. Different personalities. Emotions. Etc. All that fun stuff and more is part of this experience.

We are at the beginning of the rainy season here in Hawaii. While it has not been fun getting caught in the rain on a walk…I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many rainbows this often. I love looking up into the sky and being wonderfully surprised by a faint or vibrant rainbow.

Just like anywhere else on Earth, it’s not always sunny in Hawaii. Literally and figuratively.

And that’s okay. God never promised us sunshine and roses 24/7.

We all will have our own sunny or rainy times in our lives.

I’ve had dear friends and family encourage me to not let the rainy times get me down. Look to God and keep going.

Rainy times will come. No matter how frequent the rain may be, God is always near to help us through. In the sun and the rain.

Ps. 46:1

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

God is our refuge. We can always turn to Him no matter what we are going through. What an amazing God we have! At any moment, we can call on His name. He is never far from us. He is always right next to us.

It may not always be sunny. Keep pressing on for Jesus.

Rain will come. Keep pressing on for Jesus.

He will make a way and help us with whatever we may be struggling with.

Look to Him in the sun and the rain. He’s waiting to hear from you.