Going Through a Storm
So one thing about me that most people don’t know (because I travel so much) is that I hate flying. It makes me SO nervous especially when I’m by myself. I know that it’s a control thing, which is why I like driving.
A few months ago I experienced the craziest flight! It started our smooth, which had me in my peaceful place. Then it got slightly bumpy (which I’m ok with) then smooth again. Back in my happy place. But then… THEN….the storm came. And I was NOT READY! Usually when there’s turbulence, I like to look outside and see that things are ok, but it was dark and I couldn't see anything! I was literally having a convo with God like never before because I thought I was about to meet Him! (Funny now but it wasn’t in the moment). I’m yelling in my head “JESUS!” “CALM THE STORM” “I DON’T LIKE THIS” “GET ME ON THE GROUND!”
Then I felt God put on my heart “I know it’s uncomfortable, but I have to get you through to get you to.” And it clicked. There was no way I could get to the ground, at peace and safely home, until I went through the rockiness that I was experiencing. In that moment, I started to calm down. I had To trust the pilots. I had to trust the safety of the plane. I had to trust that this was temporary. And before you know it, the skies cleared and I was back on the ground.
We can relate this to the reality of flying, but we can also relate this to our storms of life and trust God through them. Isaiah 43:1-2 says:
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
He is always with us. He knows what we’ll experience before we do. And He already has a plan for us to get through it- Together! So how do we put our full trust in Him?
1. Get to know God
-Pray to Him/Talk to Him/Be honest with Him
-Read the Bible
-By knowing Him, you understand His character and how good He is
-Surrender to Him
2. Trust in Him to bring you through
Psalm 13 sums up these steps pretty well:
“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.
3. Lastly…Let him use you
There’s no better person to help another person who’s going through what you went through than YOU. I used an example of going through a weather storm, but we all have very real storms. Some of these have almost broken us, but yet here we are! If we tell our stories and how God brought us through it, it will help others have peace in theirs as well.
So the next time you go through a storm (literally or figuratively) there’s peace, joy, freedom and redemption on the other side of it. And remember, the only way to is through.
TC
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