In this world you will have trouble, but take courage for I have overcome the world
John 16:33
As I sat on the veranda gazing over the fields, the rays of the sun warming my face, I noticed on the distant horizon a tiny speck of grey in the otherwise clear blue sky. In what seemed like mere moments everything changed. My teammates who had been playing football on the field suddenly started to run towards the house, sheets of rain following close behind them as the grey clouds rolled in. In the time it took me to gather up my towel, sunglasses, and books the sky above me had clouded over and heavy drops of rain started to sweep the veranda floor I had just vacated. Peals of thunder rumbled around the roof and I watched in surprise as a fork of lightning struck the tree in front of the house with a loud crack.
It all changed so fast.
I had little time to prepare. One moment I was basking in glorious sunshine, the next I was scrambling to gather up my things and get inside. Isn’t this often this is the case with the ‘storms’ we face in life? They can take us completely unawares, catching us totally unprepared.
However, we do have a choice in how we respond to the storms in our lives. I could have got angry at the storm for ruining my peaceful, sunbathing afternoon. I could have shouted at it or asked it why it had chosen to turn up at all. The chances are none of that would have achieved anything other than me ending up frustrated and drenched. It’s the same with the storms we face in life; we can get angry at them and ask, ‘why me?’, or we can choose to ask a different question, ‘what does God want to teach me through this?’
We can choose panic, or we can choose peace.
These ‘storm’ seasons can be an opportunity to dig deeper into God, to anchor ourselves on the truth of His promises. They can be an opportunity to allow Him to grow and strengthen us, preparing us for the season ahead. No matter how the chaos roars around us, we can choose to stand firm in His peace - that unfathomable, beyond comprehension peace that fills us with a deep-rooted sense of security, wholeness, and wellbeing in the midst of the chaos. It starts with a choice to trust Him; trust that He is in control and that He has never let us down and is not about to start now. It is activated by choosing to thank Him for who He is and all He has done, regardless of our current circumstances.
So, in the midst of whatever storms we may be facing in this current season, my prayer for us all is that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrow like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul”
Horatio Spafford
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed
Psalm 107:29
Adele
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