I woke up gasping, threw back the covers and slid out of bed. Quietly I padded down the hallway and slowly turned the knob…
Outside thunder rumbled so loud the window panes shook from the sheer mightiness of its roar. Lightning strikes seemed to stretch from the heavens straight to the ground, repeating theĀ pattern every few seconds. A springtime storm was in full force. The noise and light show woke me from my deep sleep. My heart began pounding in rhythm with the thunder and my body couldn’t get out of bed quickly enough.
As a little girl, I was fearful of thunderstorms and as the windowpanes shook, my body quaked with every rumble. I had a fight or flight mentality that most often took me running down the hallway.
… I took several deep breaths and opened the door to my parents room. I tiptoed over to my dad’s side of the bed and gently touched him on the shoulder. He wasn’t startled by the interruption toĀ his sleep, but calmly talked me through my fears. Some nights heĀ walked me back to my room, but other times, his voice and being in his presence was enough for me to slide back down under the covers and weather the storm.
We all face storms in our lives. As children of God, we are called over and over to step beyond our comfort zones into brave new territories. Each step takes us away from the familiar into the unknown. Each “yes” to God, is a delight to Him but a challenge for us. As hard as the next step may be, God assures us He will be with us every step of the way.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Every brave “yes” brings rewards we cannot even imagine. But with each step forward we face storms that work to derail the hard laborĀ we have already put in place. Storms as fierce as a springtime thunderstorm or ones as gentle as a summer’s rain. Storms that look like:
- fear
- self-doubt
- unworthiness
- unloved
- weakness
- frustration
There are many more that could be added to this list, but God is the answer for your storm.Ā A brave life is strengthened by storms.Ā We are faced with the choice of either walking through the storm or trying to go around it. Each has it challenges, but God is always in the midst of the storm. He is the anchor between sayingĀ “yes” and finishing our brave step well.
The story of Peter in Matthew 14 never fails to teach me lessons of bravery as well as faith in Jesus. Peter chose to step into the storm literally when he stepped out of Ā the boat. Verse 28 says, āLord, if itās you,ā Peter replied, ātell me to come to you on the water.ā Jesus replies “Come”. In that moment, we see a beautiful example of facing storms head on fully trusting that Jesus is who He said He isĀ and will walk with Peter or any of us on the water. There is no storm too big, too wide, too scary or too difficult that you cannot get through it with Jesus.
[Tweet “God is the anchor between sayingĀ “yes” and being brave enough to finish well.”]
If we want to get to the end of the “yes”, we must be brave enough to finish. If we want to finish, we need God. If we seek God in our storms, He will be with us.
May I encourage you that we don’t need to be that little girl running to our dad during the night because we are afraid of the storm. We have our Heavenly Father, who protects us from and carries us through the storms. Jesus is stronger than the storm. He wants us to join Peter and become “water walkers”.
If you were to name your storms, what would they be called?
I will leave you with these words of encouragement:
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11
Blessings of grace along the way!
Mary
Linking up with these beautiful ladies!
and Dawn for Grace Moments
Hi Mary! Your storm story reminds me of the days that my children would come into our room because of thunder storms or bad dreams. I would have them lay down right next to our bed, and just being close made them feel at ease.
Your post comes at a good time for me. I have to remember that God the Father is the BEST father ever, and will take care of my fears. It’s easy to fall into anxious thoughts and feel powerless. Well, I guess I am powerless…but with my Father, I have all I need.
Thank you for this encouragement,
Ceil
We used to do the same thing with our own kids. A blanket on the floor by our bed seemed to provide enough closeness that they could make it through the night. Our God is more than willing to draw us close just as we did with our kids when they were young. His reassurance is there for the taking and we need to remember that He will always calm our fears. God is stronger than all of our storms. I am glad that you feel encouraged and I pray for all of us that our anxious thoughts are always replaced by God’s love and comfort. Blessings!
Mary,
Popped over after reading your words at the lovely Linda Stoll’s blog…This is so true: “Every brave āyesā brings rewards we cannot even imagine. But with each step forward we face storms that work to derail the hard labor we have already put in place.”
So glad we do have a heavenly Father who carries us and I’m glad you also had an earthly father you could trust…blessings to you š
What a blessing to have you here today! God continues to work on me in the area of brave and I know each time I say “yes”there will invariably be storms interrupting the path. I am so grateful that God is there to carry me through the storms of life.
May we all know that God is bigger than the storms and will always see us through to the other side. Thank you for being here and leaving such sweet words!
Beautiful. I, too, had that kind of relationship with my earthly daddy and PRAISE God I have it with my Heavenly Father!
Thank you for being here, Beth! I love how we started to get to know each other this week via Twitter. I am rejoicing with you that you have been blessed by your earthly dad as well as your Heavenly Father.
Challenged by your words to trust for the brave yes, and so encouraged by this reminder that He wants to comfort and banish the fear.
God is bigger, stronger and braver than any storms we face in our lives. I need to remember this every time life feels like it is out of my control.Thank you for words that uplift. Blessings!
Mary,
I’m a first time reader–I discovered you on the Messy Marriage link-up. Your post was much like mine for today. But God has used you to help me see the bigger picture of the storm I’ve been facing. I recently said YES to God on some things that are fearful to me. I followed Him to a foreign country and allowed Him to use me to bless others. But.I.was.afraid. And I didn’t take those fears captive. I allowed them to fester in my thoughts. Thankfully, I have a husband who is willing to listen to me and help me wade through the flood waters of discontentment and discouragement. I had a breakthrough on Monday night–of which I posted about today. And this post is like icing on the cake! I will continue to say YES to God no matter the storms that come. He is faithful! And I don’t want to live any other way. To say NO to God is to miss out on His will for my life, which in reality is the safest place on the planet.
Blessings to you,
First, welcome! What a treat to have you here for the first time and for you to leave me such a lovely comment. I am excited to pop over to your place to read your words. God is so amazing that He connects us with who we need just when we need it. I am blessed that I was that person for you.
I fully believe that if we say “no” to God, we will miss out on a future that He has so carefully planned. Saying “yes” is easy but letting go and believing that God is bigger than the storms that will come our way is much harder. With that in mind, I pray for “yeses” and for God to open the doors as He sees fit. Blessings to you!
One of the things that struck me about your post today, Mary, is the tender and sweet relationship you had with your father as a child. I didn’t feel that kind of comfort or closeness with my dad when I was little, though I knew he loved me. So I wonder if that’s shaped your view of our loving and protective heavenly Father. I know that has been a struggle for me over the years–to view my heavenly Father as for me or protective of me. I feel as if I’ve changed my perspective on this, but it took me many years to get there. Lovely post, my friend and certainly welcomes us into the Lord’s strong arms when we face storms of all kinds.
I have been give a beautiful gift in my life and that is the extra time that I am able to spend with my earthly dad. When I was growing up, he worked a lot and we were not very close. But I can look through a different lens because of the time we have spent together especially in the last five years. I also see the interaction he has with his grandchildren that shows another side to him.
I appreciate you sharing your experience as a child with your father. I know that my own experience does not always mirror that of others. But I rejoice with you that even though it has been a struggle, you have learned to view our Heavenly Father as a protector. May we lean into God as we face storms and know He will provide safety and strength. Love and hugs!
When I first starting reading I thought maybe you’d been in TX this week, Mary š The storms of life come in many forms, don’t they? We each face our own unique set of trials, as God fashions us into His image. And yet, none of us walk this road alone. Not only is God always there, He often sends His blessing and comfort through His people. People like you, Mary. Thank you for this word today. Blessings, my friend.
I know the Texas storms were quite devastating. I tend to be rather timid around storms. They will never be my favorite-figuratively or literally. But as we face challenges the beauty is that God is with us on the midst of the storms and He is always stronger. That brings me comfort. Blessings today and everyday!
This is a timely read for me. There are definitely times I look at the waves and start to sink, but what really strikes me about hard times is how I cling to God, and then quickly forget him when things even out. Someday I hope I am strong enough to be thankful for the trials.
So true. I read this quote somewhere “we must be as watchful after the victory comes as we were before…”
I’m always so encouraged here in this beautiful space, my friend. I have weathered many storms, every one on your list from fear to frustration and could definitely add a few more in there. You are so right, “God is the answer.” I don’t always follow that advice as I should. Thank you for this important reminder. My storms would be so much easier by holding tight to that simple 4 word sentence!
Mary,
At one time or another, I think I’ve weathered them all to some degree. Right now, perhaps discouragement is raining on my parade. With discouragement also comes a certain lack of trust that God’s got this. He is bigger than whatever storm we’re up against. Thank you for that beautiful reminder!!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Mary, such a powerful post. I love what you said about God being with us from our Yes to where He’s leading us. It’s important to remember that He never leaves us, never forsakes us. Even when He leads us into a storm.
My current storm is (as I wrote about) discouragement.
Past storms include: Rejection, convinced I was less-than, infertility, mothering (at times).
That’s probably enough to name for now. š
What a blessing to have such a gentle, loving dad, Mary. I hope he is doing well. Your description of him reminds me of our Heavenly Father who so gently calms our fears and fills us with courage to brave the storms. I’m so grateful Jesus is stronger than our storms! The lightning photo is awesome and really displays His power. Thank you for this encouraging reminder. Blessings and hugs to you!
My dad is the best! A lesson I continue to learn even more recently. I am also grateful that Jesus is stronger than our storms and walks with us through them when we can’t see the other side. I am blessed by your sweet encouragement. Love and blessings!
When my sister and I were little, we were scared of thunderstorms etc too. I love THIS: “We have our Heavenly Father, who protects us from and carries us through the storms. Jesus is stronger than the storm. He wants us to join Peter and become āwater walkersā
I’m glad I am not the only one who was afraid of thunderstorms. I still am sometimes. Thank you for highlighting some of my words. I pray that they spoke to you loudly and speak to others too. Blessings!
This is truly a beautiful reminder Mary. Thank you for sharing such powerful encouragement!
I am blessed by your affirmation and encouragement. Thank you for joining us here today! Praying that God continues to reveal Himself through the storms and the calm. Blessings!
My two greatest storms were named: Husband’s Unfaithfulness and Daughter’s Addictions.
I chased God away during the first storm in the 1980’s; I clung to Him for dear life during storm #2.
Beautifully written, Mary.
I love how straightforward you are and how you let God bring you through your greatest storms. Your transparency always inspires me and your presence here adds so much to the conversation. Love and hugs friend!
I was given the song ‘Brave’ during a self-development course. “Say what you want to say, let the words fall out, I wanna see you be brave.” Sometimes I have buried myself under the waves, instead of riding on the storm waters with God, trusting He’ll give me the voice to move through instead of stuck below. And it is so much calmer in His boat than struggling in the waters!
I would much rather stay in the boat but God does not call us to stay stuck. I love that you were given the song “Brave” during a self-development course. One of my favorite songs is “You Make Me Brave” Bethel Music. There is something about saying “yes” and then letting God do the rest that can be very freeing but also extremely scary. Praying we both face our storms knowing that God is always stronger and will always see us through to the other side. Blessed as always that you join me here!
Love this post. There’s definitely power in naming the storms & then tackling with the power of the Lord!!! Thanks for sharing Mary!
Thank you! There is strength in Jesus and calling out our storms causes them to lose the hold they have over us. Jesus is always stronger than our storms. Blessed you stopped by today!
Oh, I don’t want to name those storms!! š Thanks for the reminder that our Father is the safe shelter in the storm. And thanks for being one of the places I can run to, as well!
I am thankful for good friends and safety from the storms of life. I am finding that naming my storms instead of just holding it all inside can be healing. May we seek Jesus in the middle of our storms and know He is always stronger Love you friend!
Dear Mary …. there’s a potential storm or two on the horizon around here. I’m tucking this promise close to my heart.
He is stronger, He is stronger …
Praying for you as you face possible storms knowing that Jesus is always stronger. God knows what we will face even before we face it and He is always there by our sides. Love you friend!
Beautiful, encouraging words. Yes, we have our Heavenly Father, who encourages us to pour out our hearts, releasing what cripples us, to receive what He stand holding out to us: peacr through the storms. And yes, it often entails facing storms in trust.
I love that story of Peter too, but I also love it when Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him after he had denied Him three times: this is such a beautiful picture to me of God’s grace, restoration and healing. It is this grace for my past that helps me face new storms in greater confidence.
Thank you Anna! What a blessing we have in our Heavenly Father who wants us to face our storms but is right there by our sides when we do. I am thankful you shared the story of Peter denying Jesus three times. It is a beautiful picture of God’s grace and it is humbling to know God loves us that much too.
May we all feel God’s grace in the midst of our storms and take His hand to pull us through to the other side. Blessings!