While much can be said about the troubles and trials of life and how to handle them, I discovered that once I was forced to ride out my own storm of grief, God had not left me without a lifeboat for survival. My broken heart was just soft enough to have the willingness to let God teach me that, even in the midst of the most impossible storm, I can still have peace.
Grieving has physical manifestations. In the months after my mom died, I can say my heart literally hurt. I had days when I could not seem to convey my words clearly. Some days I had to force myself not to go back to bed because the exhaustion was unreal. I felt like mentally and physically I was battered on every side while the rest of the world went on with their day-to-day lives. There was no calm in my storm, but I managed to find the peace that I needed to survive.
One of my favorite verses from my darkest days of grief was Isaiah 43:2, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. It gave me the stark realization that while we want God to take our storm away, He instead is with us throughout the storm. His plan was for us to endure the storm, not for Him to say, “Oh…oops, I didn’t mean to give you that.” The storm for the child of God is intentional. Therefore, our dependence on the One Who allowed it is mandatory for survival. He actually guarantees our survival when He says …I will be with thee;..
Daniel was not rescued from the lions’ den; but he had the peace of God while he laid there in the dark in the middle of bunch of hungry lions. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not spared the fiery furnace. Instead, there was the fourth Man in their midst, Jesus Christ. God’s peace is available in the storm but only when we lean on the One Who can walk on water. It is Him Who holds us above the waves of chaos and can help us survive what we perceive as the impossible.
Life’s trials will come to every Christian. In fact, I Peter 4:12 tells us to expect them, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you; as though some strange thing happened unto you: However, when troubles come, we have another guarantee from our beloved Comforter. While the rain is pounding and the waves are crashing, let us remember the promise found in Philippians 4:7, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Someday, the clouds will roll away and the sun will shine again, but until then, we can cling to the beautiful assurance of God’s lifeboat filled with His promised peace.
