Surviving the Storm

-
Sandy is winding her way north and we survived the storm without losing power, which always makes me happy!  The nice thing about this storm is that we knew days in advance.  There was time to fill our cars, stock up on water & food, fill the tub with water for flushing and time for all sorts of other preparations.

Life isn't always like that.  Sometimes we don't have advance notice when a storm is about to hit.  One  minute we are merrily skipping along and the next, we are plunged in darkness.

 Raising children is a lot like this.  Sometimes we see the storm coming and have time to mentally prepare.  Other times, there is no warning.  With my own children, there have been times that I see warning signs that I need to prepare and plan for, and then there have been other times that I've been blindsided by a monster of a storm.

 The thing that is true in every case is that God has been with me in the midst of it.  He is never taken unawares.  He knows exactly what is going to happen.  He knows the end result.  Trusting Him whether I'm prepared or not has been the thing that has gotten me through to calm weather. 

 Photobucket 
"Sometimes God calms the storm. At other times, he calms the sailor. And sometimes he makes us swim."
~ Author Unknown

 When I'm struggling with an issue with my child there have been so many times that I want God to take away the problem.  I don't want to deal with it.  I want calm seas.  Yet, more often than not, I have been the one He has calmed.  The problem is still there, but I am calm in the middle of the turbulence.  And yes, there have been times when I've had to learn to swim.

"The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear".
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Freedom from fear.  I'm learning this.  I'm learning to pray and ask God to help me face whatever He brings my way with faith and fearlessness.  We will go through trials with our children, but facing them with faith provides comfort.

Photobucket

 "There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm". ~ Willa Cather

 Like it or not, I will only grow and stretch and mature as I face a storm.  Calm seas will never happen 100% of the time no matter how much I try.  I can control all the variables and I still will face the storm.  And it's in the midst of the storm that I often learn the greatest lesson.

  "I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship." ~ Louisa May Alcott  

 Finally, I have found that in the midst of the storm, God gives me the tools I need to navigate it when I'm trusting Him.  When I am dependent on Him for wisdom and strength, He will teach me to steer through the storm.

Raising children is hard.  They don't come with instructions.  They will disappoint us.  They will hurt us.  They will bring us joy.  They will bring us heartache.  The storms will come and you won't always be prepared.  Yet, when we trust God and seek Him in the midst of the storm, we will see calmer days ahead

 Photobucket

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 30, 2012 at 12:36 PM

    Great post Terri, and so glad to hear you guys are doing fine. xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. LynnOctober 30, 2012 at 2:13 PM

    Wow - what a brilliant post - thanks Terri.x.
    I have wandered about you all day and prayed that you would be ok - thanks for the update.
    It's funny but God's presence in the storm has been on my mind a lot lately. I have applied to join the chaplaincy team at our hospital as a junior volunteer and I just keep thinking about and seeking out study about God helping us in a storm. Isn't it fantastic that you then write a whole blog post about it?
    Thank you L.x.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LynnOctober 30, 2012 at 5:11 PM

    Oops sorry I meant "wondered". Wandered makes me sound like a stalker - lol!
    L.x.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TerriOctober 31, 2012 at 7:17 AM

      LOL!!! I figured that's what you meant, Lynn. I love when God confirms something through another!

      Delete
  4. MariaNovember 2, 2012 at 4:53 AM

    Amen. Lovely reminder and words. It seems the Lord is reminding a lot of us of His faithfulness....all over the world!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love your comments and encouragement! I can't always respond back but do read each comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Oh What to Do; I'm Sixty-Two!

-
Image
Today is my sixty-second birthday and it's hard to believe I've achieved that....um....seasoned age! My first thought this morning was one of not being sure that I like it. However,  as I thought I about it, I decided to take joy in the fact that I've reached an older age. Because age comes with benefits. Benefit #1 - I'm a bit wiser.   When I look back at some of the decisions I made when I was younger, I cringe. With age has come the ability to slow down and think things through before I make major upheavals in my life. I've also discovered that getting worked up about certain things is just an absolute waste of emotional energy. Benefit #2 - I'm enjoying my life.   As I've aged I've learned all kinds of skills and hobbies and can honestly say that I'm never, ever bored. I love all the different things I'm able to do and it's fun! Benefit #3 - I've learned to appreciate my relationships. With age I've learned to work on developing a...
Read more

Eating to Live

-
Image
  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...
Read more

When the Unexpected Pops Up

-
Image
On Thursday afternoon, just as Dan and I were getting ready to leave for a meeting, we received a phone call from our son. He was sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine in his car. The problem is he lives 3 1/2 hours away. After back and forth phone calls he called a tow truck and got it towed to a garage. He ended up renting a car and headed here for the holiday. We've been working with him to figure out his next steps because he still owes thousands of dollars on the car which will also take a significant amount to replace the engine. His rent is going up in the new year. His seasonal job ended and he is trying to find something else, but needs a car for that to happen. His car still has not been looked at by the mechanic. It is all more than a little overwhelming. Long story short, we extended an invitation for him to live here temporarily so he can get out from under all of this. It would save him money on expensive rent and utilities.  The timing was right since h...
Read more