“His grace is sufficient for me.”
Have you ever been through a huge storm, like a hurricane? There is an eerie calm before the storm hits, there’s that calm in the midst of the hurricane, the “eye of the hurricane,” then the calm after the storm.
If you have been through a hurricane, you know that surrounding the “eye of the hurricane” are the strongest winds, the most torrential downpours – it’s the worst of the storm! But, oh, in the eye of the storm, there is a calm, a peace! I remember a hurricane back in 2004, Hurricane Charley, hit Orlando, Florida… the calm before the storm was nothing short of eerie. There I sat on the porch with my stepdad and Tanner (his German Shepherd) watching the dark sky turn a greenish hue. We made light conversation and though I can admit it now, I didn’t let it show, but I was scared out of my mind! Finally, the rain began. My stepdad held his ground, drinking a beer, how many did he have? Maybe I should have one? No, beer smells. In any case, trying to be brave, I too, held my ground. There goes the power!
I can’t say how long the rain pelted before we were in the eye of the storm. The neighbor boy, went out on his skateboard. Brave kid. (He lost his mom in that storm. I will never forget.) I sat, glued to my chair on the porch, the rain began again. I saw branches, trees, grills, chairs – you name it, get knocked down and fly about. In my head, I prayed, Oh God, keep us safe. He must have heard my cry. Power was out, after that storm, for 9 days – for us, some people longer, some less. That’s a long time to eat off of a grill, with a crazy German Shepherd who steals your food from said grill..
Minus the food stealing German Shepherd, I find the storms of life akin to such a hurricane… There is a calm before the storm hits you. Perhaps you sense something is about to occur – something feels off… And then, here comes the rain. Maybe slowly at first. Maybe no bars hold, just a downpour! But to find peace in the storm, now that is something! We have access to a peace that surpasses all understanding! The Bible tells us, “the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved.” This is our promise of peace, this is our safety, this is our calm. It doesn’t matter what is going on on around you, call on His name and be saved.
I find myself in the midst of a storm. My world has been shaken, yet I have peace and still have my joy. What was meant to devastate me – destroy me, is increasing my faith in Him. I don’t know the ending, I don’t know how this will turn out, but I believe that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
*Original photo*
On the Outside Looking In 