We Don’t Choose Our Storms….

Wouldn’t it be nice to get to choose the storms in life we walk in?

I think if we were to choose, we would more than likely choose no storm or a “light” storm with light rain light winds light everything. No heavy rain pour no heavy winds blowing from all directions…. am I right?

I enjoy the natural storms, hearing the rain pour fall heavily, the clouds rolling in, the winds picking up, something about hearing and seeing it I feel peace and relaxed. But walking through life storms in sufferings, grief, trials, etc., are not my forte. Quite frankly I haven’t met anyone, as of yet, who says they enjoy the storms in their life.

Actually, I do know of one person, and his name is Paul. He writes “rejoice in the Lord always…” | Philippians 4:4. He doesn’t say sometimes, or when life seems to go perfectly neat and in order.. no! He says to rejoice ALWAYS! And this my friend is what storms teach us. To rejoice in the Lord despite the storms we face and walk in. To rejoice knowing He is LORD above all storms. To rejoice… it trains our fleshly minds to be off the circumstance and be placed onto the ONE.

But why must it be so difficult? Because our flesh wants to give in, cry, and throw in the towel. Yet, our spirit, as strong as it is, tells us “no let’s keep going to the One who sustains us in the storms.”

The storm my husband and I are in is quite a storm. It feels like a hurricane that keeps turning back to our land trying to destroy every ounce of joy within us, steal every promise God made us, hinder our view of who God is. It feels like a heavy rainfall, hail, floods surrounding us, winds blowing from the east west south and north…. tornadoes trying to hit ground but haven’t, clouds surrounding us all around, yet I see the peak of ray sunshine blasting through. We don’t know how long this storm will last. We don’t know how much longer we can take, but we know we can get through it with the Lord. It’s only Him who is able to give us comfort and strength through what we are walking in.

We don’t get to choose the storm we face nor do we get to choose how easily the storm may be, but we can take comfort in our Lord knowing he is sovereign, he is our comfort, He is Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rapha.. He is all things to us. He is our joy, hope, and peace in the storms of life. He can calm the storm or he can calm us in the storm. Every storm we encounter and walk in is a storm where He transforms us to become more like Him. We may not understand why we walk these storms in life, or why this storm came, but we can be assured He is with us in the storm the same way He was with Jonah who fled from doing what God called him to do.

God sent a storm to awaken Jonah. To show Jonah who He is. It wasn’t out of meanness, it was of compassion for Jonah. God pursed Jonah. And that is what God does for us, he pursues us, knowing there is something far better and greater for us that we do not see yet.

Sometimes God has to send storms in our life to show us we need Him, nothing else. And other times, he sends storms for other reasons that He will either reveal or not, we simply need to place our trust in Him through the storms we face.

Whatever storm you are in, facing, walking through, I pray you experience the Shalom peace of God through it all, that your heart draws nearer to His and your eyes stay steadily focused on His. Remember dear friend, no storm is too big for our God and no storm is a surprise to Him. Let your heart not waver, but rather, turn to Him through the hardships in life so He can be your all source of comfort, peace, guidance, and joy!