What Do You Do in a Storm?

      Survivors of a hurricane, a tornado, or any disaster, never forget the trauma.  I'll never forget Hurricane Hugo.  We all went to my parents' house, because it was in a low area and built well.  It was a house full.  We knew it was coming.  We waited for the storm to come.  The storm came with the wind pounding all around and the cracking noise of trees as they fell to the ground.  Then, the calm of the eye of the storm came.  We walked outside.  It was dark, but we had our battery operated lights.  Then, the tail of the storm came.  The wind seemed to blow harder.  My son was sleepy, so we went into the bedroom at the end of the long hall.  We slept.  Everyone else remained awake fretting as the wind bared down on all the surroundings.  While nine people sat in the hall in fear, I slept.  While all of my father's shop and sheds blew away, I slept.  While the old giant pecan tree came crashing down against the house, I slept.   So, this is what I did in a storm.

     So, what do you do in a storm?  How about the storms of just living in this world?  While you are and your spouse are taking care of his sister as she fades away in her last days of her battle with cancer, your spouse dies leaving you to take care of everything.  Everything also included a troubled family.  The dear lady whose husband dies suddenly, then she is diagnosed with cancer six months later.  Now, can you imagine the emotions of their young children?  This is a storm that only faith in God and family can carry you to the end.  Their is the day when everything is perfect until you are told your company is closing.  You have children in college with bills piling up.  There are no jobs, and you don't know how the bills will be paid.  Then, there is the farmer facing another year of drought.  Three neighbor farmers have just lost their farms due to no money to pay off debt.  His wife has been in the hospital for weeks and the bills are stacking up.  His daughter wants to go to college.  He is caring for two grandchildren.  The burden is heavy on his heart.  These emotional storms in life can destroy us just as a strong hurricane.  So, what do we do in these emotional storms that break our hearts taking away loved ones and burdens our hearts to breaking points?  What do you do in a storm?

    As I read Matthew chapter fourteen this morning, I thought about the storms in my life.  No, you just can't sleep through the emotional storms.  These storms eat at your mind, soul, and heart.  The burden of facing three funerals in two months with the loss of my husband, his sister, and his brother weighed heavy on me.  I had to face the empty house and the darkness that comes with such a loss.  By keeping my faith and eyes on Jesus, I made it through that storm.  

     In Matthew chapter fourteen, Jesus had entered his home country where he was rejected.  King Herod had beheaded John the Baptist, so Jesus departed to find a place of quiet, but the people followed him.  He saw the great number of people and had compassion for them.  He healed the sick and fed five thousand.  He needed time alone, so he sends his disciples away by ship as he goes into a mountain to pray.  As evening came, Jesus was alone.  However, the disciples were on a ship in the middle of a storm.  It was dark with no stars or moon to give light.  They couldn't see where the storm was blowing them or if they would survive the storm.  

     Then, in the turmoil of the darkness and the storm, the disciples see someone walking towards them on the sea.  Was it a spirit?  Was it a ghost?  They cried out in fear!   As they were filled with fear, they heard a voice saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid." (27)

     Could Jesus be walking on water in this horrible storm?  How can anyone 'be of good cheer,' when the boat could turn them over into the the roaring sea in the middle of a dark storm?  

     Then, Peter quickly says, "Lord, if it is you, ask me to come to you on the water."

     Jesus says, "Come."

     Peter stepped off the ship and started walking to Jesus.  He took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the storm with the roaring winds blowing against the sea.  He becomes afraid.  Fear fills him as he sees the storm and not Jesus.  He cries, "Save me!"

     Jesus stretches out his hand, saves Peter, and they enter the ship.  Also, Jesus questions Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt me?"  

     The storm passes away.  All on the ship worships Jesus, saying, "Of a truth you are the Son of God."

    After reading, I considered how bad things happen.  It is left up to us how we face those hard times in life.  Do we become bitter?  Do we drown ourselves in self pity?  Do we turn to alcohol or drugs to remove the pain?  Do we try to run away from the problems instead of facing them?  For me, I pray.  I open the scriptures and read.  I love the Psalms.  In my despair, I found Psalms 90:17 to be a reminder that God is not finished with me yet.  My faith will help me through the storms and make me stronger as God 'establishes the work' of my hands.  Heavy storms will come, but how we take hold of them to learn from them as we keep our eyes on Jesus will determine how we make it through the storm.