My Thoughts On Storms

"Sometimes God calms the storm.

More often than not, He chooses to let the storm rage and chooses to calm His child."

I love when God talks to me, and I know - as clearly as I know that today is Thursday - that what I am hearing is something that He has chosen to convey to me. It is personal and sacred and draws me to Him.

That happened earlier this week. I was ummmm... reading Twitter, and Sandi Patty had tweeted this quote. Yes, I am a firm believer that God loves Twitter. ;) I mean, seriously, if He can use a burning bush to communicate to Moses, I am sure that He can use the Internet to communicate to gazillions of people today. And He did just that for me earlier this week.

Moving on...

So, I was thinking about why I love this particular quote so much. It is no secret, if you read my blog regularly, that I have struggled with some storms in recent years. Not only have I struggled with the storms, but I have struggled greatly with the aftermath of the storms as well. Much of that struggle has been within myself, some of that struggle has been with my husband, and some of that struggle has been with my God. In the past, as I wrestled with the pain and confusion and anger and depression that was left in the wake of the storms, I was frustrated with myself for not trying hard enough, not working smart enough, not being "spiritual" enough to get myself out of the mess that was my life. I would beg God to help me, save me, change what was happening around me. And while I am sure some of that was necessary, I have learned that surrendering to the sovereign will of God is the only true way to live a peace-filled life. Allowing Him to calm me - which is not the same as Him taking away my "storm" - has been the key to the peace and contentment that I feel like I have lived in the last several months. Don't get me wrong, sometimes that is painful and it is a fight to surrender my hopes and dreams and desires to God, but in the end - and in the midst of it, for that matter - I can literally feel Him close to me. Comforting me. Bringing me clarity and the contentment that my soul has longed for.

I posted the above quote on Facebook today, and a well-meaning friend commented with a "similar" quote. She said, "Don't tell God how big your storm is. Tell your storm how big your God is." There is some good in that. I am all about knowing that I have a powerful God and depending on His power to make it through this broken world, but I have to say that that mentality is exactly what left me frustrated and wallowing in confusion. The very idea that I cannot or should not "tell God" something is contrary to everything in me. Telling Him everything - depending on Him for everything - is the one and only way that I know how to survive this life. Also, "showing my storm" something insinuates that I - Amy - have some sort of power. I want to be the first to say that I wholeheartedly believe that "I can do all things through Christ" like the Bible says, but as I did a Bible study on contentment last year I was struck by the verses that were immediately before that one. They have forever changed the way that I view Philippians 4:13.

"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:11 -13

In these scriptures it is clear that Paul had lived a very hard life. At times, he lived a life of need, hunger, and want. If it was as easy as changing his circumstances because "he could do all things", then I betcha he would have not gotten so hungry. As it was, God allowed him to endure hardships - learn from hardships - and chose to bless him with contentment in the midst of it. That is as miraculous as anything that I have ever heard.

I believe, now more than ever, that God chooses to allow storms - pain and suffering and tests and trials and confusion and heartbreak and need and hunger and want - into our lives for the purpose of refining us and bringing us to Himself. He made us. Created us. HE understands what we need to be exposed to for those processes to occur, and He loves us enough to let us live through them. While there is still so much that I don't understand, I believe that if we allow Him, He is waiting right beside us as we ache and break and suffer... willing and ready to "calm His child" like the quote at the beginning of this post says. And that brings me peace. More than anything that I have ever tried to believe, that settles well with in heart.

I don't always understand Him, but I choose to always trust Him. To me, that is faith. And that is a soothing balm to my soul in the midst of the storms of life. I can honestly testify to the fact that as I have learned to understand this concept, He has calmed me. And I am thankful.

A side note: While I was writing this, there was a torrential storm happening outside - rain, high winds, tornado sirens and all. When Allie went outside afterwards, she came back in and said, "Mom! You have to come see this! It's the brightest rainbow I have ever seen!" Not only was it a rainbow, it was a double rainbow. A beautiful reminder that God is caring for us - even in the storm.