We've lived in Tornado Alley a long time and have been through some pretty fierce storms. Sometimes thunderstorms arise suddenly and we scamper around, securing patio umbrellas and loose objects outside while the wind pushes against us and gusts of rain pelt us.
My youngest son gets a little excited when he hears "batten down the hatches!"and is eager to procure rations and flashlights. Apparently there's just something "special" about eating snacks in a closet with your whole family crammed in, including the 75-pound golden retriever little sister.
Other storms build up gradually.The sky forewarns us as it mutes its lovely blues and introduces hues of eerie green with undertones of steely gray. Although the wind stills to a dramatic pause, the perceptible shift in the atmosphere feels a bit crackly and threads of tension permeate the air. About this time our dog is anxiously following me around, looking at me imploringly "can we just go inside already? Now!?!"
All these indicators warn us that a storm is coming. We just don't know when or how long the storm will last. The media fervor about a storm's expected intensity adds to the drumbeat of anticipation: a powerful storm is approaching.
How do storm forecasts impact you?
Are you one of those curious types like my husband who has a unique appreciation for how wickedly green the sky can become? As we feel the atmospheric weight bearing down right over our house, he's out on the front porch absolutely mesmerized. (sound familiar?)
Or are you one of those nurturers that has all the littles confined to a designated safe space with bottled water at the ready? Your hands are busy comforting family pets while also drawing imaginary lines between young siblings that express their anxiety by poking each other. Minutes can stretchreally long in those close confines.
Perhaps you're somewhere in the middle? You're able to appreciate the power of the storm as long as it doesn't directly affect you or your loved ones. Maybe you're torn between the snacks and the outside show?
We've all endured some type of storm in our lives. It may have been an unforeseen emergency that caught us up in a tangle of shock and confusion. Or it may have been an escalating crisis that eventually broke loose.
Sometimes a health issue can be a chronic storm that ebbs and flows...and you're weary of the ongoing unpredictable physical ailments and emotional strain.
Perhaps you're in the lifeboat with someone else, merely a passenger to their own tumultuous journey. Being a caregiver takes its own toll, even if you've got your lifejacket fastened and are willingly riding out the storm with a loved one.
Whatever storms in life we're facing, we can weather them best with Jesus. His power is greater than anything our tiny human brains can conceptualize.
- - With only a whisper He calmed the storms. - -
Still today He can calm the storms that may be raging in us. Our inner stress may be building up steady pressure, swirling within and gaining momentum as we begin to see glimpses of panic or anxiety ready to leak out.
Other people may not see our distress, but God does.
He is our buoy in the storm.
To Him we can cling.
Jesus is our sweet haven in the storms of life. He has a simple message for us:
"Peace, Be still."
If we're quiet, we can hear His whisper.
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