Ciana
When storms have blown across my life's path, I've come to learn it is a time to rest... rest in the promises of God. Matthew 11 contains a promise I've experienced many times as truth:
Matthew 11: 28-30~
28) Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.
30) For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
Jazzedforhim
Essay:
I have had my share of storms and trials, especially in the past few years. I have learned that the degree to which you are being stretched is in direct correlation to your spiritual growth. In the beginning you are just learning to swim. Your instructor is there to put your toes in the water so you can get used to the feel of it. Then you put your whole body in. Next you learn how to dunk your head under the water. Eventually you are practicing swimming while your instructor encourages you and keeps you from drowning. Then there comes a day in which (while your instuctor is still there) you must swim alone without your instructor holding your body to keep you afloat. You must learn how to take the strokes that you were taught all by yourself and trust that your instructor is there when you need him. Jesus is the instructor
and we are the swimmers.
He is the potter and we are the clay. It is not comfortable to be molded. It hurts, but the pain is necessary for us to be molded into the shape that the Lord would have us be in. I have learned not to fight the process, and to just let the Lord work. I can praise Him when Im being molded! Yeah, it hurts
Im dying to myself. Dying is not comfortable! Dying is rather painful, but it produces good fruit. It is not all about my pain, its about Gods will and His plan! I am being changed into the likeness of my God. What more could I want? My own way? I have learned my way is the highway! He knows what is best for me and I stand on that promise!
Trials are like a river. You have the calm areas, and the rapids. During the calm areas its rather easy to praise the Lord and worship Him. But when the rapids come, I want to race to the shore where its safe! If I cant make it to the shore I search frantically for a log (or something I can control) to keep me afloat. Its too scary! I cannot handle this! Exactly says the Lord. Ive learned to let go
completely let go of it all
even in the rapids. Ive learned to Praise Him in this storm and my soul has peace even when circumstances around me are chaotic. John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
Songs have encouraged me during my trials, and is an important part of me keeping my mind on Him. Matt Redman: You Never Let Go & Chris Tomlins How Can I Keep From Singing are two that really mean a lot to me. Theres another one that Id like to post words to, if that is appropriate to do so here. Ill close with these words. This song is quite powerful and reminds me
that the Lord loves me more then I love myself!! He loves my kids more then I love them, and he loves my husband more then I do! He has a plan! I trust Him
I praise Him
I do it though its not natural for me to want to! He died for me! I trust Him!
Praise you in the storm: Casting Crowns
see post #15 for words...
FireyAngel
My daily storm
Here comes the rain!
Jesus is helping me in a storm at work. I am so tired and so weary. Every day a new tempest brews and more hardened hearts get harder at work. Our boss is a very different type of woman. She professes Christianity but in the same breath will down talk every ethnic group under the sun. She gladly points out our flaws and then gossips about her employees with other employees. She has no trouble asking someone Are you stupid when they mess up. It is a tense and tiring place. Being on point for Alzheimers patients is hard enough. You are giving and giving for 8 hours straight. Then she takes whats left. Most nights I come home with nothing left for my husband but an apology for not being more hospitable. I turn to Christ a hundred times a day and ask for strength to smile one more smile and love one more anxious person with dementia. If it werent for Him I would have been gone a long time ago. He keeps me on point. He shows me what matters. For that I am so grateful. The rain may come but He is my umbrella.
Proverbs 10:25
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Breezy3
"Circumstances Do NOT Have To Determine The Kind Of Day I Will Have"
Praising Jesus through the storm is what has worked for me.
Every time I praise HIM, I become more and more free.
Through the death of a friend more recently to the serious accident of my guy,
In spite of all the pain and fear, I rarely asked HIM why.
The water came down for days and days and flooded my heart with pain,
Dealing with life on life's terms was quickly becoming a strain.
But I took my circumstances and gave them to HIM for they were in the way,
Instead I thought of my relationship with HIM and nutured it every day.
Today I trust that HE works it all for good, in spite of how it looks and feels.
And I can totally surrender to HIM and allow HIM to take the wheel.
ladyt28
I am praising Jesus through the storm of grieving for He has promised not to leave me alone. I praise Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit when He returned to heaven. Jesus is my solice as I know that my son is safe in heaven with our Lord Father. I know that he is not in any pain or sorrow. And I know that we will be reunited with him when we die and join the angels in heaven. Praise Jesus for His mighty love! Praise Jesus for His mercy! And praise Jesus for our heavenly home!
Surviving
THROUGH THE STORM
Each of us at some point in our lives will face a storm that will seem to wash away all of our hopes and dreams. We will face giant tidal waves that will come crashing down at our feet and bring everything else tumbling down around us. Its at these times that we feel that there is no one around us that is able to hold us up out of the water and stop us from drowning. We reach out our arms in the hope that someone will be able to catch us
hold onto us
keep us safe in their arms.
I have faced many times in my life where I have felt like this
submerging beneath the water. I look up and I can see myself drifting further and further away
sinking to the bottom of a deep dark ocean. I feel that everything is getting tangled up around me and that I cant see my way back to the top.
When the storms have passed by (and they do eventually pass by) and the winds have died down, we then take a look back at what has happened. We start to question why these storms take place Was it because I did something wrong? Did I create this storm? Can I prevent this from happening again? Was I alone?
It is only when I have looked back that I have realised that there has been someone by my side the whole way. There has been someone that that has held onto me so tight and stopped me from drowning. This someone is God. If I didnt have God by my side, I would have surely drowned.
Below is a poem that I have written about trials in life.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Youre in a difficult situation,
And you fell its all a mess.
You have so many choices,
And you dont know which is best.
Youre getting all muddled up,
And you feel youre in a pickle.
You dont know which way to turn,
And youre feeling quite brickle
Youd like to be in control,
Make people think youre fine.
But really you havent got a clue,
You feel like you must resign.
But theres light at the end of the tunnel,
Its not always dark inside.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
For your decisions he will decide.
mizangelwolf
Clouds are forming and the winds are gathering speed. Taken for granted good health has been swept
away and the reality of aging and sin has taken residence. Lung disease, COPD. Me? Must be some
mistake. The tests do not lie however. My friends of 20 years live 3000 miles away. My daughter lives
there too. Where is my immediate support? My church family of yesterday is also at a great distance. My
son works out of the state or country most times. This news was a blow and a wake up call. What can I do?
I will praise God! Never before have I had an opportunity to praise Him in such a storm. Whom else will I
turn to? No one can comfort me and give me assurance but Jesus. My rock, my light, my hope. The more I
am humbled the greater my faith grows. My days are limited and the urgency to become what I am meant
to be has priority. I do not want to have many regrets in my last years. We all know our destination is to die.
Knowing it is much sooner than we had planned on is a jolt. I have never felt more sure of God's promises.
So the sands of time are slowly drifting away for all of us. For me it is still sinking in, the finality, the reality.
May I run the rest of my race with as much strength as possible. May I not waste time! Praise God for this
storm, a time to be closer to Him, to learn to trust Him more, and a time to give Him glory!
