Storms of Life

You are traveling down the road of life. The sun is shining and puffy white clouds dot the sky like balls of cotton. There is a contentment in your soul, along with a pridefulness that life has gone so smoothly- so effortlessly. Everything has gone as planned.

Up ahead you notice a big, yellow sign that flashes “Road Work Ahead!!”. You veer to the right as you have been instructed- following the car ahead to a new road you have never traveled on before. All of a sudden it hits you-wait! I think I’m going the wrong way! You turn left to make a U-turn only to find that you’re further off course. A feeling of panic grips you. Where am I? Where is the road I’m supposed to be on? How will I ever reach my destination! You had planned so dutifully and carefully. Nothing could go wrong, you thought. If that’s true, how can you be so off course?

Dark clouds gather like a shroud. The rain has started to pour down in torrents. The old, worn wipers cannot keep up with the pelting rain. You pull over to what you believe is the side of the road, praying that no one else will do the same. The lightning flashes in forked discharge- boom, crackle, clap, strike. You count out loud… one thousand one… one thousand two… it is close. You jump as you hear the next bolt. You ask yourself- will I ever get back on the right road? Then you cry out to Jesus! Help me Lord! Help me!

Have you been the one who has known days wrapped in rays of sun, birds singing, and the breeze blowing? Then in a moment of time, the scene has drastically changed to dark clouds, heavy rains, and violent thunderstorms. Or perhaps you have lived through a tornado. It has swept through your life taking or destroying who or what was precious to you. What you held dear was taken up or strewn- never to be seen again. Or perhaps worse- two tornados have joined to destroy and devastate your life. That life, that time which held such abundance, blessing and contentment. Oh how you long for those days!

Do you try to pick up the pieces of what’s left or do you totally give up on life? Do you become bitter that loss has occcured or do you carry on with God’s help- trusting that He will USE for good what is painful, grievous, staggering, beyond words to describe. You have an assurance that He loves you as His child. You hold on to the truth like one would hold onto a life preserve that Jesus will work FOR good, even though the circumstances are far from good. You know that Jesus as God/man is Creator so you settle in and rely that He will work a great work with the remaining ashes or the bits and pieces of life.

I am truly humbled and staggered by the stories that people have shared of their life.

One has experienced unfaithfulness from their spouse. Never did it occur to them on that momentous day of saying the words “til death do we part” was it ever considered that this storm would come.

Another has to write to her son who is time in a prison. This was the child she comforted when he was afraid, rocked as she sang “Jesus loves me”.

One was raped when a friend of her brother broke into the house and found her peacefully sleeping in bed. What he stole from her could not be given back, she too was on the path of the storm.

A young girl grew up being verbally abused by her mother, she was never good enough and her words were like knives that stabbed her heart. In her head, the message still rang strong- you’re not enough. Why can’t you be better, different, more?

A young woman has made a tragic decision. She chose to take her own life. Now those who love her must live with grief, regret, and a feeling of emptiness. The two tornadoes joined and a life was swept away in the rotating column. This was an EF4 storm- leaving so much loss behind.

Some facts of storms that I have seen in the Bible are the following:- Storms occur when you’re doing things right.- Storms hit the gifted and the Godly.

Daniel is an example of that. When the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and besieged it, some of the best of the best youth were taken back to Babylon. They were good looking, showing intelligence in every branch and discerning knowledge. These were the ones who had ability for serving in the king’s court. The king ordered that they would be taught literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Thus storm had to hit these young people hard. Normal life was gone. They were far, far away from home, far from a land that worshipped their God, far from people they loved, far from a language that had been familiar with all their days. Their dreams had been smashed to pieces. They were in a tornado. However, during storms, a determination must be made to stay true to God, although the culture around is Godless, although everything has changed on the outside, God has not changed as He is truly the same yesterday, today and always. Our surroundings do not give us license to an excuse to compromise our convictions. Biblical truths do not change. They provide an anchor during the storms of life.

These young people were educated for 3 years in Babylonian culture. Their own names were changed. The very names that their parents had chosen with purposefulness and meaning, were replaced. Replaced with Babylonian names that exhaled their false God. It would have been very easy to slip or fall into the culture that surrounded them. But they didn’t!

Daniel made up his mind that he would defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine he drank. He made a determination to stay true to his God before he faced the challenges. That’s what we need to do. We need to say, Jesus with your help, your strength, I will follow you, no matter the storm.

I remember when I was a young mother, I was pondering about the storms that I had endured. It occurred to me that some storms had come in suddenly without warning. Others had come in and remained for a lengthy time, while some blew in and then right back out. Also I was thinking about the variety of storms that can come into our lives. Some are bitter, freezing, even blinding- like a winter snow storm. Then thunderstorms which were shared earlier, which can cause fear & uneasiness. Even hurricanes of varied power and impact can come in. Hurricanes come in to rearrange and even destroy. I had a simple mental picture of a soldier standing before me. His sword was held firmly in his hand. As the storm approached, he looked up to the commander and said, “Can this storm come in, Lord?” and His response was, “Yes, this will build character, compassion, patience, and endurance”. Another storm came shortly after the first. The soldier asked, “Is this storm permitted to come into her life?” and the Lord answered, “No! It will destroy her.” And that storm never crossed my path. Once more, a storm approached. “Is this storm allowed?” the answer came back- “In time, yes. But not now. She is not strong enough for the winds”.

This scene was only in my mind’s eye. However, when we do experience storm, we know Jesus has an eternal purpose for our ultimate good, and the good of others- whose lives we touch. We’re not alone in the storm. Jesus will take us to the other side! That could be to the other side of the situation, or for the duration of our time on Earth or to the time we cross from this life to heaven.

When there are storms that have swept through, the aftermath may cause dreams to be dashed, hearts to be broken and plans to be swept aside. In the midst, there remains a new hope that the hard stuff is changing us, conforming us. Honestly, I don’t know of another way for the Lord to take pride out of our lives. We rely so heavily on our own strengths, ways, giftedness, and securities that we may feel like we can do life on our own. The reality is we need Jesus to live out this life. A storm will bring us to the end of ourself so that we cry out with all our heart- “If you don’t do it Lord, it won’t get done.” We find out more in depth- or maybe for the first time- just how big He is. Then we can rest in the hammock of trust with a peace beyond understanding. Jesus is still calming us in the storms of life. He truly cares. Whether we feel that compassion and care, or not, our feelings cannot be relied upon.

It is true that we will go through storms because storms are a part of life. It is no less miraculous if Jesus calms our troubled, fearful hearts just as He calmed the Sea of Galilee in Biblical times. It doesn’t mean life is always easy and smooth sailing. It means He will use the circumstances of life FOR good. Jesus alone can use excruciating, demanding, challenging harsh circumstances like a wood carver would take his chisel in one hand and a mallet in the other. The end result is a wooden object which has been formed by a cutting process.

Earlier I shared stories of people who could testify of a storm that came through. They knew pain, hurt and loss. The miraculous testimony is that Jesus carried them in the boat of life.

The one whose son is in prison, now goes to a local jail to lead Bible studies. She also shares Bible studies with names by way of letters.

The girl who grew up being verbally abused by her mother forgave her. They have not only formed a beautiful mother/daughter relationship but a friendship as well. She is one of the most encouraging people I have ever known because she understands the importance of words. She uses them gently and carefully.

The 14 year old girl who was raped went through a tumultuous time of sexual promiscuity, drugs, and drinking. However, she found peace as she forgave, learned of her true identity in Christ, and trusted Jesus to do a mighty work of healing. Now she is a wife and a mother who has a heart for those who have experienced sex trafficking.

The mother who sailed the dark seas of having a child grow up to take their own life now reaches out to young women who have their own stories of hurts.

Each involves forgiveness and each have chosen to reach out to others who are hurting or need to be encouraged or uplifted. They could have pulled down the shades of their life, locked the door of their heart and put out a sign saying, “Do not disturb!” but they didn’t. Each were and are carried by a faithful God who knows first hand what suffering is all about because He experienced the cross.

Are you going through a storm? If you have put your trust in Jesus Christ alone to go to heaven, He will speak to the gale of the winds and the waves. He will say, “Hush, be still.” and the wind will die down and the sea will become calm. In Mark 5:35-41, the disciples thought it necessary to wake Him up because He was sleeping instead of jumping into action. But He knew exactly what they needed. They needed to see how big and how great He is. His word alone changed the sea from tumultuous to calm. He can do the same for you and I.

Once again, thank you for taking your time to read “One By Faith”.

Blessings to you!