When the weatherman on the nightly news predicts stormy weather, we have an idea of what to expect. Although we may not know the exact timing, meteorologists are likely to give us a good idea of a storm’s intensity and when it will hit. Unless, of course, we choose not to listen to the news or heed the storm warnings, we can plan for the weather and adjust plans accordingly.
We often don’t have the luxury of advance warning when the storms of life begin blowing. Such was the case when I started my new job. New beginnings are often pleasant and I had no reason to expect anything else. A storm of life came up without warning, or if there were any warning signs, I missed them completely.
My initial instinct is always to pray the storm away. God, please take the unpleasantness away! I want to be warm, dry, and safe—comfortable at all times.
I prayed and prayed. The storm raged on and on. Day after day, the winds buffeted me until a day when God captured my attention through the words of a song on the radio. Scott Krippayne’s lyrics spoke tenderly to my current condition saying, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child.”
I was supposed to let God calm me in the storm! I wasn’t going to pray the storm away; That wasn’t what God wanted me to do. God wanted me to learn to let Him quiet me during the storm; I was supposed to find peace while the winds raged.
This was a new idea. I began to pray in a different way. I began to pray for peace in the storm.
Something changed and I did find peace in the middle of the difficult circumstances. Matthew 8:24-26 says, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he gotup and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.’”
God can still calm stormy weather. However, sometimes that is not in our best interest. There are life lessons that can only be learned when the rain is pelting us. We can find peace, with Jesus Christ, in stormy weather and in all circumstances. Once I let God calm me in the storm, my outlook changed and so did the stormy weather—the skies began to clear, and so did my vision.
The lesson stays with me. Sometimes God does calm the storm, and sometimes we need to let Him calm us in the middle of stormy weather.
Shari is currently serving as a Hospice Chaplain at Olive Grove Hospice. Shari is a certified coach who lends a blend of business and ministry experience to her every endeavor. God has given her a passion to encourage people to integrate work and faith. You can learn more about her book, Walking in Faith: Stories of Hope and Encouragement on her website: www.sharjharris.com and contact her at sharijharris@comcast.net
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