It’s been a while since I’ve had the space to sit down and type. I’m sorry for not posting much lately. Life has felt a little heavy, and if I’m honest, I’ve been carrying the one-year anniversary of my father’s death in my thoughts and prayers. I worried I was lingering on that loss too much. But today, something changed. In fact, I wrote this a couple of days ago and only now am getting time to post.
This morning, the world outside my window looks like something out of a Marvel movie. Wind whips the trees, thunder rumbles, and rain streaks sideways across the glass. It’s the kind of day that makes you want to burrow under the covers and wait for the sun to come back. But here’s the thing: even in the middle of a storm, you can feel spring pushing through.
It’s almost Easter, and for Christians, that’s more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a promise. It’s the story of darkness giving way to light, of hope carrying us through even the roughest weather. Jesus told his followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Some days, those words feel like a shield—something Captain America himself might carry into battle.
Because that’s the thing about storms—real or metaphorical. They remind us we’re not invincible. Peter sank when the wind whipped up, even after seeing Jesus walk on water (Matthew 14:30). Even the bravest heroes have moments when it all seems too much. Think about Spider-Man, swinging between skyscrapers, sometimes unsure if he’ll make it to the next web. Or Iron Man, facing impossible odds with nothing but grit, faith, and a heart that just won’t quit.
And yet, spring always comes. Even when it’s hidden behind clouds, even when we can’t see the first daffodil or hear the birds singing, the world is quietly being remade. “See! I am doing a new thing,” God promises in Isaiah 43:19. “Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” I like to imagine Thor’s hammer breaking through the clouds, letting the sunlight pour down on muddy gardens and rain-soaked sidewalks.
Maybe that’s what faith looks like—believing the sun is still shining, even when all you see are storm clouds. Trusting that Easter is coming, that resurrection isn’t just a story from two thousand years ago, but something happening right here, right now, in every green shoot and every act of courage and kindness.
So today, while the storm rages on, I’m holding on to hope. The kind of hope that Marvel’s heroes fight for. The kind of hope that runs through every page of scripture, promising that after every Good Friday, there’s an Easter morning. And that the storms we weather—big or small—are never the end of the story.
Happy almost morning.
We love you all
Randy
