I know that for some, this year has been a very challenging year. It has been a year filled with world devastation, illness, personal struggles, loss of family members, heartbreak, to work stress. Most of my friends and family members, to acquaintances, to world events all seem to resonate a similar feeling to that of an unbearable weight to carry. It feels almost as if some of us are stuck in the middle of a storm, and we don’t know how to navigate and find our way through it all, to find the peace in the middle of the storm.
IN THE MIDST OF A STORM
It’s hard to see the silver lining in things, when we are in the midst of a storm, when we are so caught up in a trial. How do we look up, and gain perspective, and find peace when we do not know where to even begin? Have you ever felt that the weight of what you carry is too much; it’s too heavy, and it’s all consuming? Wave after wave we feel it crash over us, pulling us in deeper, further away from the shore.
Sometimes when life itself seems unbearable we tend to turn to the wrong things. We tend to turn to things that may distract us, that may make us forget temporarily, that may numb the pain for a little while. We can numb the pain in various ways; from drinking to going out all the time, to getting lost in watching series, to emotional eating, to remaining “busy” as a means of distracting us from what is really going on inside of us, the storm still wages war within our hearts!
This temporary numbing of the pain, may distract us for a moment. However, if we are not seeing to that area or looking after ourselves, that pain will build and it will never truly heal, causing us to live in a dysfunctional manner, in a way that will not only steal from us, but from those around us!
WHEN OCEANS RISE
When the storms of life rage on, we should remember:
God calls us to be brave.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
He calls us to stand still amongst the chaos. Sometimes just standing requires courage and faith, and by doing so we start to rise up and face the chaos head on!
With Him at our side we can do all things, we can conquer all hurt, all pain, all disappointments! We can overcome! We do not need to do it alone, we do not need to suffer in silence! He is with us!
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you.”
Isaiah 43:2
We can confess to him, we can reach out to him and call on Him, and He WILL respond to our cries! All we need to do is come to a place of complete surrender, we need to be honest with ourselves, and with God, and lay it all before Him.
“He stopped the storm, and the waves of the sea became quiet.”
Psalm 107:29
My friend, do not let the weight of what you carry burden you no more! Your best days are ahead, be brave and trust in the one who saves, in the one who loves relentlessly!
“Let go my soul, and trust in Him. The waves and wind still know His name” – Bethel Music
What do you do that distracts from the reality of what you are going through? What do you turn to fill void, or to numb the pain? Maybe it’s time to address the issue, to face our storm, and find solace in the one who saves!