Coping with the storms of life

Rain storms can be a good thing for our environment.  They are a necessity for nature.  Lightening provides nitrogen; rain nourishes and cleanses the earth.  There's many more benefits of storms but I'm not going to get into all of that here.  But what about the storms of life and the parallels from natures storms and our own?

Some have said (myself included) that they love a good thunderstorm.  This is certainly true when I am tucked safely in my home.  But driving in such a storm can bring on deep anxiety and stress.  A thunderstorm can put a damper on outside events because it can bring unexpected dangers.  Our first response with such storms is to find safety.  Whether getting out of the water when there's lightening or pulling off the road when the rain is falling so hard your vision is limited.  Whatever the situation we all instinctly protect ourselves from natures severe thunder storms.

What about the storms of life?  How does one prepare for those?  I don't know that we can, but rather get through them and wait them out.  Many of us have encountered many storms in our lives from financial strains and losses, to death, illness, disease, accidents, crimes, etc.  Yet, more often then not, most of us tend to get through them one way or another.  Still, there are so many emotions we encounter in the meantime:  fear, frustration, anger, confusion, sorrow, grief, anxiety, discouragement, hopelessness and more I'm sure.  How do we cope?  How do we allow ourselves to "feel" without letting our feelings take over?

Lord, my prayer to You is for peace through the storms of life.  It's so easy to get so focused on the circumstances that we lose our peace and get tossed around like wild waves in an hurricane.  You are the Lighthouse on the Rock I look to in the midst of the chaos, and I pray that as You call out to me in the darkness of the storm that I can hear and turn towards Your light.  Instead of fighting and kicking the torrential waves, help me to ride them until I am safe in Your presence, standing on a firm foundation.  I pray for hope to illuminate my heart and mind so I can with confidence trust the sun will shine on me again.

Lord, we can't avoid the storms of life because they just happen.  But my heart asks of Yours to be merciful and patient towards my own when I struggle with doubt and discouragement.  My promise to You is that I will praise you through the storms and trust You work all things out for the good to those who love you.  Thank You for the seasons in our lives that cultivate faith, trust, hope and courage.  Thank You for Your promise that no matter how dark our trials are You will never leave us or forsake us.  Although we may not understand, we can have peace in knowing You see the greater picture...the finished one.

Abandonment

Listening to a lonely dog howling this morning and my heart felt sorrow for this poor pup who was abandoned by her owners.  Red tape and laws create more isolation for this throw away friend.  As we approach her she runs away and hides from those who would try to help her.  It doesn’t make sense when she is so lonely.  Yet, it makes perfect sense.  She longs for her family to return for her.  Hopefully they will get here soon she thinks. She is hungry, thirsty and alone.  Too scared to go out to those who approach her with a helping hand of love and kindness. 

How often are we like this poor dog?  Do we not all experience abandonment at different points in our lives?  Abandoned by those who professed to love us, by those we trusted.  Love we had escapes our hearts and we are left feeling empty and alone.   Sometimes our own hearts abandon us.  We lose our confidence, our dreams, our aspirations and hopes, and are left reeling in doubt and discouragement.   Questions plague our minds.  Understanding and reason haunt our thoughts day and night.    

Abandonment puts up walls around our hearts to guard us against others we fear will do the same.  Fear and distrust become close companions but to our own demise.  We don’t always understand the why’s or how’s because most often, life doesn’t share the answers to its tests.

God, You said you would never leave us or abandon us.  If we were to go to the highest heavens You would be there.  Should we reach down to the deepest depths, there You would be also.  There is no hiding from Your presence.  In these times of abandonment when we feel alone, heart- broken, confused and lost, may we feel You right beside us.  May we find comfort in knowing that Your eye is always on us, that Your heart is ever loving us, and that there is hope in healing from these wounds that scar us.  Help us to not to be afraid, but to step out in courage and continue to take risks, knowing we could be hurt again.  Let us be so confident in Your faithfulness that we knock down those walls of isolation and distrust and live vulnerable to those around us.  Without faith it is impossible to please You.  Help us wounded warriors live with such faith that we can press into You through the heart ache of abandonment and take that pain and use it to love more passionately, live more fully, and trust more than is reasonable.  Help us to never lose hope in humanity and to see others through eyes of mercy.  May we not lean on our own understanding but trust You in everything.  Remind us that we are never alone.

To The Test

To the Test

by Holly Fisher

Casting shadows over the mind

   would be a tactic of fear.

My God will not leave me blind

   for my heart to His is sincere.

His glory must be upon this life

   for an attack of such proportion.

My faith shall not yield to tormented strife -

   my trust is placed with great caution.

I'll delight and claim His victory is mine

   when the darkness shows its fear.

For I know His light brightly shines

   and His angels armed are quite near!

Swords of holy ones will pierce the black night

   making way for his servant to grow.

Defeated, the enemy flees with fright

   no longer a deceptive friend, but a foe.

Alas the territory is mine for the taking

   For He has promised to lead me through.

He has prepared it for a great awakening,

   and new hearts he desires to deliver and pursue.

Hoping and desiring to walk in obedience

   Ready to serve and do as He leads.

Living and seeing His glory evidenced

   through lives changed is what I plead.

I rejoice in His promises soon to manifest

   and delight in giving thanksgiving.

For through darkness He has put me to the test

   so to be prepared for this life I am living!

Invasion of the Peace Snatchers

Some days you can go along and be "minding" your own business and whistling joyfully and you feel no cares at the moment  when suddenly out of nowhere this thought pops into your head that steals your peace, stops your joy and your whistle is no more.  Your peaceful and happy thoughts turn into thoughts of rejection, or maybe fear, or anger, or resentment or whatever.  Your mood turns from happy to crappy in an instant.

Too often we can keep on that path of negativity and it can ruin our entire day, maybe week and in many cases our relationships.  We have those imaginary conversations with those we are directing our thoughts towards.  Sometimes it's ourselves and we become emotionally self-condemning and naturally we will withdraw from those around us.  Where do these thoughts come from?  How do they invade our minds so quickly and change the direction of our days without us even realizing it?  How can we battle these alien hosts that invade our thoughts and steal our peace and stomp on our joy?

I will not give credit to the evil that berates but rather I will focus on how to overcome their dissension and refraction. Think about what you're thinking about!  Notice!  Pay attention!  And FIGHT to keep your peace!  We don't have to receive the garbage.  We can choose to counterattack with good thoughts.  We can rethink with good things.  Peace is worth the battle.  It only takes a moment to lose it but when we labor to keep it our lives will benefit as well as those lives we are linked to.

The battle is not an easy one and Lord I pray for Your strength to help me to press through.  I may get bruised and bloodied in the process but the victory will be mine and I will be stronger from it.  May these mental assaults prepare me to be like a seasoned soldier who can walk out a valiant life here on earth and reflect Your glory to all I meet and come across.  May these experiences enrich and encourage the lives of others and in turn their lives can bless others and so forth.  Let Your dominoes fall but not for the collapse of Your people but to the connection of us all throughout the world.  Help us to take our thoughts captive to the loving obedience of Christ who is our strength!  Let us kick out these peace snatchers and live with renewed minds so our lights will shine and Your love will permeate the world.