And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 KJ21)
A thunderstorm interrupted the steamy July afternoon. Temperatures dropped by twenty degrees, and even the streets cooled down. The break from the oppressive heat gave Iva and me the opportunity for a short walk. Iva, a black Labrador Retriever, is nine years old, and the hot weather is hard on her, so it was a treat to get this mid-day walk in.
Later, I prayed, giving thanks to God for the storm, but another storm deserved a grateful heart. In the past couple weeks, I had been called back for a mammogram, and an ultrasound revealed the need for a biopsy.
Fear and concern sent me to my knees in prayer. Well, not really. Since my spinal surgery, I avoid getting on my knees as much as possible, but you know what I mean. When storms brew on the horizon, we pray more. We pray harder and longer. Bible verses grab our attention with a different perspective.
“God, I thank You for the biopsy. You have taken me to a deeper level of faith, one I wouldn’t have reached without it. Yes, thank You for this storm also. Amen.”
I clearly perceive the need for this interruption in life. This detour took me down a side road where I discovered a closer walk with my Lord. He revealed to me that I only trusted Him for what I want. I slammed on the brakes whenever God tried taking me down little side roads that I didn’t want to travel. God showed me that complete faith submissively takes God’s detours. Complete faith trusts in His plans, not my own.
Thankfully, God heard my cries for mercy, and the biopsy came back benign.
Are storm clouds gathering in your life? Perhaps, you are in the midst of a horrific tempest right now and feel like you are drowning. Catch your breath. Prayerfully consider your circumstances. What good has arisen from this disturbance? Can you thank God for the storm?
What is God teaching you? Each storm in our lives comes for a reason. We aren’t supposed to look for those explanations, but we look for the changes taking place in our lives.
Storms leave landscapes looking different. Branches and leaves lay scattered about. Sometimes a tree falls. Water puddles form. What looks different in your life after the storm?
Father God, I’m not going to ask why this is happening. I’m not even going to ask You to remove it, although that is what I want. Today, I ask You to show me the good that has arisen from the storm. Help me be grateful for the goodness that is taking place. Thank You God for this storm. I need Your help to make it through. Amen.
Hi. Thankyou so much for your helpful posts. Please pray for my health that God will heal me and I won’t have Parkinson’s or a serious lung condition and for emotional and physical healing for my husband and I and our adult children, we have survived 2 suicides, my kids father and my stepson. Thanks!
Thank you Judy, I will keep your family in my prayers. It seems like you have survived so much. Blessings, Carolyn
Always inspirational. Thank you for your message.
I praise God for that. Thanks for the encouragement.
I am in the middle of a storm right now that has been both hard and eye opening as I still travel along a road towards healing. This might sound odd to most, but I have to say my time adjusting to losing my teeth to get dentures has opened my eyes to how at times my mind and heart was still too focused on food. Meaning that even my fav keto options of eating meat had to stop unless it was mechanical soft or pureed. You see with my dentures out I cannot chew as the gums are too far apart to chew anything toothless. BUT with the dentures in chewing anything is still extremely painful till my gums toughen up due to the pressure pain you get when chewing with false teeth. So, every time I go to fix a meal, I ask myself….so do I want to process this, so it is as least painful to eat or do I just grab another yogurt or cottage cheese or just drink a protein shake. It dawned on me that I am grieving the loss of enjoying chewing food. That opened my eyes again to my food fixation issues where I am spending too much mental focus on what I can vs cannot eat right now till I adjust to eating with dentures. Meal planning has taken over my mind where it should be spent with my focus on Jesus, NOT FOOD again. So that is my lightbulb moment this week.
You have been through a lot lately. Praers.
Wonderful lesson Carolyn thank you ❤️
Praise God and thanks for the encouragement.