PEACEFUL STORMS
Lindy and I have lived here in beautiful southwest Florida for 35 years, and there are so many things for which we are grateful. There is the exception of the occasional hurricane, of course. But as for our summer storms that start with billowing white clouds by noon that slowly morph into gray, navy, then rumbling black clouds with rain, wind, and a little lightning by late afternoon—just gotta say, we love them!
These storms are breathtakingly beautiful, when you stop and think about it. Majestic. Powerful. Dramatic. Creative. And even peaceful. A wondrous mosaic of sight, sound, smell and feel. Reminds me of these lyrics from “How Great Thou Art.” I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Ahhh . . . But wait.
When it comes to those thunderous storms, it dawns on me that our sense of peace usually comes only when we view them from the safety of a cozy, covered lanai or inside our homes, right? But what if a storm catches us by surprise at an outdoor picnic, a walk in the wild, or a small boat on the gulf? Not so beautiful or peaceful anymore. In fact, it can be frightening. Even overwhelming. But it’s the same kind of storm. Huh.
That brings me to the classic metaphor of the storms of life—globally, locally, and internally. Every one of us is impacted by these storms. In all candor, recently, I’ve had a few weeks when I sometimes would wake up with a heart full of dark clouds, and maybe you have, too. And with good reason.
We’re living with harsh realities on a global scale with all types of wars, destruction, oppression, political polarization, cultural discord, economic uncertainty, rampant distrust of authority, and so much more.
In my circle, a colleague of mine recently lost his precious wife of many years and asked me to officiate her memorial service. A few days later, a very close friend and his family experienced the sudden death of their 18-month-old grandson. My dear wife and I are wrestling with multiple health issues like many of you in our respective life journeys. And many of the pastors and churches I work with have scores of people dealing with tremendous challenges. But that would be all of us, wouldn’t it? It’s just real life.
So, how can we deal with these storms? How can we find any peace with the sobering thought that we really can’t control the size, frequency, or strength of life’s situational storms any more than we can control any literal storms? What do we do when we find ourselves struggling and focusing on the internal storms of fear, anger, resentment, bitterness, rejection, guilt, regret, distrust, insecurity, exhaustion, hurt, frustration, grief, despair and more?
Well, here are the whispers of God that I hear when I’ve let my eyes focus on the storms instead of on Him – like Peter did when he started out walking on a stormy sea but then began to sink when he focused on the wind and waves instead of on His Lord and Savior. I love how the Lord doesn’t scold us when we do that. He whispers gently and personally to get our attention, especially when He calls out “son…,” or “daughter…,” or even calls us by name. “Mark…”
“Practice My Presence…”
This is when He reminds us that He is always there for us. Always. He will never leave us or forsake us. Though there are days when it may feel like He has, it’s not because He’s not there or doesn’t care. It’s because we’ve lost sight of Him in the darkness. That’s when we can practice His presence by shifting our gaze back onto Him – as our refuge, our fortress, or lanai. And that’s where we can wait with Him for the storms to pass or walk with Him and help others make it through the storms . . . either way… His choice … but in His peace. Amazing.
“Savor My Whispers…”
The Lord loves to whisper His wisdom and love from His heart to ours. And He does so frequently. But our lives and hearts can get so noisy, we miss them. That’s why the Scripture says: “Be still, and know that I am God.” But don’t let the whispers come and go when you hear them. Savor them, like you do with bites of your favorite meal. That’s how His peace can go deeper.
“Embrace How I Love You…”
The more we discover and embrace how He loves us far more than we can imagine, the more our lives will continue to be transformed from the inside out with a peace that endures. Like the unbridled love a mom and dad feel when they first hold their newborn child, that’s how the Lord loves us. Even when we mess up. Especially when we mess up. We will always be works in progress. And He never gives up on us.
“Follow My Ways…”
He yearns for us to trust and follow His ways. Not because He’s on a power trip, but because He knows that His ways are the best ways and, therefore, the best for us. When Jesus said: “Be my disciples…” the word “disciple” actually means “follower.” We don’t have to follow Him. We get to follow Him. Because He is good. He is trustworthy.
“Go Share My Heart…”
Jesus also said: “Go therefore and make disciples in all nations…” We call that the “Great Commission.” True believers love to share the “gospel” or “good news” about the love of God with others and the opportunity to follow the Lord and His ways. And why not? He is the God who draws us, saves us, and heals us from the inside out, so that we can, indeed, experience His peace in the midst of the storms. What a Savior.
Walking through storms with you and Him,
Pastor Mark ([email protected])
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