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In and Of the Lord

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.”

NEHEMIAH 8:10 “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The last blog I posted, I talked about my gallbladder surgery. Since then, two weeks after my surgery, my brother and I went to Oklahoma City to visit our 95-year-old aunt. Our cousin felt we needed to go see her, because she was not doing well. Two days after we got home, our dad passed away. A very difficult five weeks.

My 92-year-old dad had been in the hospital for a couple of weeks, with a bad UTI. After leaving the hospital he became bed ridden, not even able to sit without support. About four months before his death, he had been living with me for a year and half. It became evident, in February of this year, that my 70-year-old body and mind just could not take care of him anymore. His leg muscles had muscle atrophy because, after he fell October 12^th of the year before, he was afraid he was going to fall again; so, he did not get up and move around very often. I just could not lift him safely for either one of us or attend to his needs.

Before he went to the hospital for the UTI, he had been living in a long-term care facility where he had made his new home. We surrounded him with pictures of his family and John Wayne. (He was a huge western fan, especially of John Wayne!)  Before he became bedridden, he taught a Bible class there. The nurses helped him get into his scooter and he went to where they met. He also, talked to the people who were helping him, about the Lord.

In the middle of the sorrow of losing him, the thought came into my mind of feeling guilty or to blame myself for his passing, because he should have been still in my home, not in the facility. 1 Peter 5:6 reads “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The devil was trying to sneak into my mind and heart, even when I was in the middle of my sorrow. No, I do not blame myself for him not living with me or for his passing. I do not have any regrets. I took care of him the best I could. I am thankful for that time he lived with me, even though it was extremely hard and he was demanding; but I am happy and thankful for that special time.

In Nehemiah 8:10, the priest, Ezra had read the Law. The people listened to the words from the Lord. The people, in verse 6 of that chapter, lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and worshipped God. Verse 9 says, “…all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.” They mourned because all of the Law had not been kept. Verse 10 says Nehemiah, Ezra, “…and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; (the feast of Trumpets) do not mourn nor weep.” They told them to go celebrate, because that day was holy to the Lord.  Then Nehemiah said “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” This joy of the Lord is the joy that springs up in our hearts because of our relationship to the Lord. The joy was not based on how many possessions they had or what they had done or not done, but how gracious God had been to them. The true joy! When we have as our goal to know more about the Lord, the by-product is His joy.

I am so happy when I get to be with any of my grandkids. They are scattered, in different areas now. Can I say I am joyful when I get to be with them? Yes. But the joy that is of and in the Lord is so much more. The happiness that happens on this earth is not the joy the Bible talks about. The Bible joy is because we know that we have a heavenly home waiting for us one day-because we know that God loves us no matter what or who we are-because God gives us grace-because God has given us the assurance and hope of eternal life-because we know that God sent His only Son to earth to die for us. The happiness-joy, we feel here on earth is external or of this world. The joy of and in the Lord is internal-of the heart and soul. True joy comes from the Lord, not from anything on this earth.

The verse above in Philippians, says to rejoice “in the Lord.” The verse in Nehemiah, says we get strength because our joy is “of the Lord.” The key to get joy in both these verses is, the Lord! When we have that type of joy, we can go through difficulties of this earth and still have joy. The joy of Christians is not based on agreeable circumstances. We can have this kind of joy whether we are: grieving-having to move from our home because of foreclosure-in bodily pain-feeling left out and alone-worried about the outcome of tests and pending surgery-worried you will fall because of your age-loss of your job and so many other pains of this earth. Instead, it is based on our relationship to God.

When Paul and Silas were in prison (Acts 16). They had been beaten-clothes torn off-feet secured in stocks-put in inner prison and yet, they were joyful. Prisons in Bible times were not anything like our prisons these days. Prisons were harsh-heavy chains-poor sanitation-extreme darkness and they relied on family or friends for basic food needs. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them.” (verse 25) They were in one of the worst places on earth, just because they were teaching about Jesus. But yet, they were singing and praying. They were even teaching the other prisoners and the jailor through their singing and praying. They had the joy in and of the Lord! They knew that their circumstances on this earth were not important, but rather their hope and joy of what was coming when they left this earth!  

Hebrews 12:2 tells us, talking about Jesus, “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus endured so much hate and pain on this earth, but His attention was not on the worldly agonies of the Cross, but on the crown; not on the suffering, but the reward. In the same way, we need to not focus on the pain of this earth, but the joy of the promises of our Lord!

Even though I grieve losing my dad to death, I can still hold onto the joy of and in the Lord, because I have faith in the promises God has given us of a future; a joyful resting place with Him. That is where my dad is now. He is experiencing that amazing joy of and in the Lord, with a home in heaven with God. As tears roll down my cheeks while writing this, and I walk on this path of grief, I am joyful that I have that promise too! That, is my God given strength through the Lord’s joy! Praise God!

Till next time!

                                                 Keela

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”

GOD, I NEED YOU

As of today, I have been out of the hospital for a week. I had been feeling bad, painful ever since my dad moved out of my home in February. He had gone to the hospital, with a bad kidney infection and was there for a couple of weeks. Then, back to the skilled living facility. When he had gone to the hospital, which was about thirty minutes away, I had gone every day and I ended up with pneumonia twice over the course of a month. I attributed my pain and tiredness to the fact that my body was just at its limit and so very tired. We have had a lot of rain here in the last few months and all the pain I was in I thought was because of that rain affecting my arthritis and fibromyalgia. I had all kinds of self-diagnosed reasons why I was feeling bad and in pain. It ended up going to the doctor, he sent me to the ER. I had to have surgery to get my gallbladder out. It had been “leaking” into my system and part of it was actually dead!

So, you are wondering, what is the point of this blog post? Is she just showing all the woes she has had?

I want to tell you what happened in the hospital that night after surgery. I want you to see that, even though I knew that God has been there for me all of my life, I still felt alone and scared. I reached out in the dark of that night, to Him saying I needed Him. (I want to point out here, before I start this, that I had an amazing care team, except for about what I am going to tell you.) I was extremely weak, shaking, nauseous and in pain after surgery. During the night, I pushed my call button, because I needed help to get to the restroom. I had not seen an aid or anyone who came to check on me after surgery but a couple of times, when I had asked for pain meds, also, I was nauseous and wondered if I was getting the antibiotics I needed. Well, the aid came in. She did not have a smile on her face and made me feel that I was a nuisance to her. I had the blood clot “contraption” on my legs. So, I struggled to get those off by wiggling my legs out of them, while they were still on. Then, I tried to get my legs over the edge of the bed. The entire time the nurse aid was just standing there watching me. I tried to pull myself up, but was so weak and shaking, that I fell back. She asked me if I needed her to help me. Well, duh! (No, I didn’t really say that.) Then, later, now that I have a Dexcom for my blood sugars, it started going off because it was 300. I pushed the call button and told them it was high. After thirty minutes, she had not come. I was watching my Dexcom and my sugar was gradually going up. After an hour, I called her again and told her it was now 315. I could hear laughter in the background. She said, well, she would be there in a minute. I told her that she really needed to come address this or next time they came in I might be passed out! She came in after those “magic” words. The registered nurse came in after hearing about my blood sugar incident. Bless her heart! I am so grateful for her! She did not let any of the aids come in after that. The rest of the night, she was the only person who took care of me, except for a male nurse that came in a couple of times. As of 12:30 am, my nighttime meds had not been given to me by the aids, nor pain meds-nor anti-nausea meds nor antibiotics started. Two of those pills were for blood pressure.  I was having high blood pressure and trouble getting my sugar down. She started the antibiotics, gave me anti-nausea meds and gave me some pain meds. So, she came in quite a bit to check on me, doing the job of the aids and her job as a nurse, as well. I knew that she was going to take care of me, so some of the fear and anxiety left. I felt safe and cared for.

I know what to do when I get fearful, alone and stressed. I have taught others what to do when they feel far from God. I knew there was a contemporary Christian music station on my tv. The first song was by Sanctus Reel called “Today, Tomorrow and Forever.” It talked about that we don’t have to understand, but just know that God is always there for us, no matter what. I started praying, thanking God for that promise. I started repeating Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” I kept repeating those verses. The song by Brandon Lake called “Hard Fought Halleluiah” came on. Reminding us to go to God in the good times and praise Him. But also, in those hard times we need to praise Him also. I heard a song by Tasha Layton called “Never.” It helped me remember that God never leaves us alone-never lets us down-never leaves us broken-never stops holding on to us. Then, a song that has so much meaning to my heart, “It is Well” (Make It Well) by Mercy Me. I started to cry. The nurse who had been caring for me, came in about then. She said “oh, no, honey, what is wrong.” I told her about the peace that the songs, my prayer and the Bible verses had brought me. She talked to me for a few minutes and I shared that God was reminding me that He was always there in the midst of dark-hard times- always. Making sure I was ok; she left to take care of all the other people who were needing help that night, who the aids were not taking care of and doing their jobs. My blood pressure and blood sugars had remained high no matter how much insulin the doctor ordered for her to give me or blood pressure meds she put into my IV. She gave me some more meds for both and left the room saying she would be back soon to check them again. While she was gone, I still had the music on my tv. I heard a song by Bay Turner called “Somebodies Praying.” It reminded me that people were praying for me. Maybe not right that moment in the wee hours of the morning, but I knew there were prayers going up to God for me. I heard a song by Chris Tomlin called “How Good It Is.” It talks about praising God for all the good He has done and how great His name is. The nurse came back in to check my vitals. My blood sugar was lower and my blood pressure was lower. She clapped and had the prettiest smile on her face. I told her, to remember when I had told her that God had me in His hands and works in our lives? She said yes, she remembered. Usually pain meds “knock me out.” But not this time. I heard the song by Stephen McWhirter called “Come Jesus Come.” I prayed to God if that was what my lot for that night was, I was ready to go to Him. But then the last song I heard before finally drifting into a much-needed sleep, was “Finished” by Caleb and John. It talks about that God was not finished with me yet. I remember smiling, feeling God given peace and letting the pain meds give me the rest I needed after surgery.

I know there are some who do not feel that we should listen to Christian music with instruments. I do not want to offend you at all. I do not want you to go against your beliefs. I respect how you feel about that. I am not telling you to listen to contemporary Christian music. That is a choice each one of us have to make. So, why in the world did I tell you this story? I shared this with you because I want you to realize that God is always active in our lives. He helps to calm our hearts. Brings us peace. He brings to our minds scripture and songs that help us search for His light in the middle of our darkest, scariest times. I have been a Christian for 60 years now. If you have read my new book, you will see that I have been through some really hard times in my life. But I have always been reminded through song-prayer-scripture that God never left me. He is always there. We just have to remember to reach out to Him. He will bring us much needed peace, even to an old lady like me, when we are in the middle of the darkness, scared, weak and helpless! His Light is always guiding us back to Him when we fall into the pit of darkness.

I will probably never see the amazing nurse again who was so caring to me. But I hope I planted some seeds in her heart, that she will search out for God and tell God that she needs Him. We can throw those seeds even in the hardest darkest times of our lives! I needed God that night and He reached out and helped me find the much-needed peace, I so desperately needed. He answered my plea, ‘God, I Need You.’

Till next time!

                                                    Keela

(By the way, I do not like confrontation. I try not to complain. But this time, I told the Patient Advocate, who came in the next day to see how my stay was, exactly what had happened. I told him the whole story about the aids and praised the nurse who spent so much time with me that early morning. He was very impressed with the nurse who took it upon herself to be the sole caregiver of me that night. He said the aids were paid way too much to not do their job to help the nurse to fulfill her job. I don’t want the aid to lose her job, but I do want to save another person from experiencing what I did. I had told the RN that I would tell the Patient Advocate what had happened and tell him how amazing she had been to be sure I was ok. She thanked me several times that I was going to step up and let him know. She said I had helped future patients who were not going to be treated with the care they needed. Sometimes, we need to step up, out of our comfort zones, to help another.)

I’VE GOT TO GET THIS

Did I really see that? I was sitting on a bench just “people watching.” A 20-something year old man, was looking at his phone. Since he was looking at his phone as he walked, he ran smack into a light pole. He looked at the pole with anger and hit it with his fist. Guess he thought the pole just jumped in front of him and he was the target. (I just started laughing, not out loud of course. He might have hit me with his fist.) One time, when I was eating in a local restaurant, I noticed at one table all four of the people were looking at their phones. Maybe they were talking to each other on their phones? I doubt it. A lot of times, the shows I watch on tv, a couple is in an intense conversation and one of their phone rings. They look at the sender and say, ‘I’ve got to get this.” But do they really? What about in church services, when someone is focused on their phones? Maybe, they are looking up scriptures, but are they? Of course, I am not in a place judgement. The good Lord will do that one day. Where is our focus?

It seems like to me that our phones become more important to us, than the people who are surrounding us. Do we really have to get it? Or do we feel we need to answer the phone, because we want to look important or is the person on the other line, more important than the people actually around us?

You might have to check your emails and texts several times a day because that is part of your job. If my phone rings or I get a text, I usually look at it. I want to make sure it isn’t my dad calling or texting and needs me. Personally, I have found that, I think I need to check my emails or texts several times a day. Not because of my job, but just because I think I have to know what is going on “out there.”  It seems when I do that, before long I realize I have been looking at my phone for thirty minutes or more! How did that happen? I can get “lost” in Facebook so easily. I usually like to look at the dog and baby posts-the posts of people having a great time on vacation-this time of year, all the graduations and weddings-posts of my daughter and her kids who live far away. (Actually, I just stopped typing and looked at something on Facebook right now!)

Why have our devices become of such importance to us? The world is a vast place and we want to feel like we are “in the know.” We don’t want to be left out or left behind. But, on the other side, they can be used for good also. There are apps of the Bible we can download. There are apps that show us a verse of the day. I get a lot of cute, meaningful sayings, writings, that help me take one more step in this crazy world. Sayings that I can send to someone who is having a hard time. Posts that make me laugh. But do I get on my device or think I need to answer phone calls, at the expense of the loved ones around me?

My 92-year-old dad, who was living with me, has moved into a skilled nursing facility. I realized I just could not physically or mentally take care of his needs anymore. He needed more help than I was capable of doing. (As my doctor told me, I am no spring chicken!)  He is in a facility that takes me forty-five minutes to an hour to get to. I have been going once a week to visit him. I caught myself getting on my phone and he was on his phone, instead of talking to each other. I am going to do better about that! I have to drive a long way to be with him. What if that was the last time I ever saw him! My device got in the way, of spending important minutes with him. I don’t want to look back one day and regret I wasted fleeting, precious time with him. What if, instead of getting on our devices, we focused on who is right there in front of us!

This world and the devices we spend so much time in, are not important. They might seem like it at the time. But do we really have to answer that phone call or scroll through that social media? Where are we putting our focus?

Reminding us to not love the things of this world more than God, 1 John 2:15-17 reads “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”  

Telling us that we cannot be a friend of the world, James 4:4 reads “…do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God.”

Colossians 3:2, reveals where our minds should be and reads “Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth.”

Bringing focus back onto God, Philippians 4:6-7 reads “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So, what is my point you might say? My point is something that I am working on and trying to be better at myself. Our time is valuable to ourselves and others. Where am I putting my focus on? Am I putting my focus on the world, instead of the people around me? What or who is really important for us to spend time with? Of course, you understand where my point or focus is at! Our Father God and service to Him.

Is there anything wrong with answering phone calls, looking at scripture on our phones, sending texts or scrolling through posts on our devices? Absolutely not! One example is, right now. You are reading this post on your device. I think it is good for our children to have cell phones. If they get into a bad situation and need your help, they can call or text you, and you are alerted on your device. If you have an emergency, calling for help is right in your hands. My point is, remember to not waste time with the things of this world, but save time every day to talk to God in prayer. Instead of using those precious moments for our devices, focus on God and the service we need to be doing for others. Read His Words in the Bible. Walk outside in nature and take in all the reality, that there is truly a God. When spending time with a loved one, talk to them face to face, put down your phone. Truly focus on church services and the Christian sisters and brothers there. I know losing focus is becoming harder and harder, at times, for me. Before I know it the devil has gotten into my mind and makes me lose focus on what is truly important. Don’t let him!!

Don’t wait until you run into a light pole, to bring your focus back onto what is really important. Matthew 6:33 reads, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”

When you say, “I’ve got to get this!” Do you really?

Till next time!

                                    Keela

(Remember, my new book “Deep-Press-On, A Caregiver’s Story” has been released! You can order from Barnes and Noble, Trilogy Publishing, Amazon and several other places. Actually, you can also visit Barnes and Noble because they are carrying my book on their shelves! Or, if you live nearby me, I always have some in my car for your purchase. To Him be the glory!)

NO RISK, NO STORY

When I turned 70 last year, I realized I had a lot more years behind me than I had ahead of me. I have had a book in my head for about the last twenty years, but had not been serious about writing and publishing it, until last year. So, I got busy and started the writing and publishing process.

I opened up my heart to the memories of the struggles-the pain-the shame-the anger-the stress-the depression-the grief-the loneliness-the sadness and so many other emotions I went through, during the ten years my husband was mentally and physically sick. During that time, I searched for help from books or from the internet, to help me with the depression my husband was going through and the emotions that were threatening to make me fall down, as his caregiver. But depression nor the life of  a caregiver, were not talked about back then nor written about. So, I told myself that one day I wanted to write a book about the deep feelings of depression and the effects on the caregiver.

I thought, when I finished my book, what are people going to think about me after they read this book? Should I really put myself out there?  But God “gave me the push” I needed. God gave me the courage to put myself out there, to help others who struggle with tough situations and painful emotions that threaten to pull them down into the darkness. There is a caregiver, out there, who has lost who they are in the middle of their everyday struggles like I did. They have become defined by the word-caregiver-and have lost themselves to become defined by the cared for person.

I realized if I did not take this risk, I might have lost part of my God given purpose, by going through those hard ten years. The purpose to tell, especially caregivers and those battling depression, that it is ok to have all those negative emotions and feelings. God created us with those emotions. But we can’t stay stuck in depression or in the negative emotions of a caregiver, because it will destroy who we are and who God created us to be, in service to Him. I show in my book, how God guided me-held me up-stayed by my side and how God showed me, through scripture, how to fight against those negative emotions that were in my torn-up heart, and even when I felt that negativity again threaten to pull me down into my husbands’ depression, from time to time.

I did not do everything right during those years. I did not act right in every new situation. But looking back, I feel I did the best I could, with what I knew and had at the time. I was blessed to have friends and family who lifted me up, stood in the gap for me, when I started to fall into the miry pit of darkness. My husband got help from therapists with medication, that helped him to control his depression, except he decided to not take it anymore because he was “so much better.” He never got back onto the medication, no matter what or how I tried, and he fell right back into his deep depression. I show in my book, that God showed me the way, through scripture, what to do to help me through the debilitating emotions that were thrown into my path.

There are so many who feel ashamed of the thoughts they have, as a caregiver or someone who is going through a hard time. I hope by the time you finish my book; you will realize that it is ok to have those negative emotions as a caregiver. It is normal. By the time you finish my book, I hope you will know how to release all those negative emotions with God’s help, through scripture, trusted friends and prayer. I hope you will realize it is ok to reach out to others, therapists and medication, for depression.

This scripture, has given me the strength to step out of my comfort zone and share with you my life trials during those ten years.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God.”

My book is called: DEEP-PRESS-ON, A CAREGIVER’S STORY. After the long process and many hours of publishing, the release date is April 14^th. It will be available then at: Trilogy Publishers, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and several other sources. The cost will be $15.99 plus tax, shipping and handling.

 I have a limited number of books; I can sell directly to my church family or those who I do not have to mail it. The cost will be $15 and I can sign it for you. I wish I could just give my books out free, (don’t tell my publisher I said that! 😊), because I want the help I offer, to help someone else through their roller coaster life. If after you have read my book, you know of someone that it can help, please share it with them. My prayer is that someone, after reading my book, will be lifted up to realize that they can truly make it through every day one step at a time, with God’s guidance and unconditional love.

I didn’t write my book for you to feel sorry for me. I didn’t write my book for you to judge how I handled the pressure of those years. I wrote this book, out of love and thru God’s guidance, to all the different types of caregivers there are out there and to those who have fallen into depression.

If there is no risk in telling our life story, there is no story out there to help others. God gives us His light to shine brightly to help show others comfort and the right path to follow. His light shows us the way! Seek His light!

To God be the glory in writing this book!

Till next time!   

                                                 Keela

STORMS

STORMS

When I was about 12, I was in Oklahoma visiting my Papa Judge. He and my Memaw lived in the country. Their grocery store was attached to their home, which was in the back. There were not many trees, nor any houses surrounding their home. I was in the kitchen and my Papa Judge said “hurry we need to get to the storm shelter.”  I looked at him, like he was crazy. The entire day had been sunny blue sky with hardly any clouds. He said look out that window. I will never forget what I saw. It was a deep grey tornado coming our way! It looked just like the tornado in Wizard of Oz. So, my family ran to the cellar. Thankfully, it did not do any damage or hurt anyone. But now, some 58 years later, I can still remember what that stormy tornado looked like and how fearful I was. I can assure you that when Papa Judge said get to the cellar after that, I didn’t look out the window, but went right to the cellar! I am sure each and everyone of you have a story about a scary storm you have seen and heard.

I have been through many storms of and in my life. Not only the physical storms, but also the storms of this world that have threatened to knock me down and overcome me. God told us in the Bible, that we will have trials in our lives. John 16: 33 reads “…in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Isn’t that a peaceful promise to those Christians long ago and to us today. When He says “…I have overcome the world,” it is a promise that God is with us when the world throws us into our darkest, most desperate moments. He is there in that storm with us offering comfort, security, direction and peace.

God promises us in Psalm the 23^rd chapter verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” In Isaiah 43:1-5, God says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned…Fear not, for I am with you…” Did you notice all of the word through in those verses? Both of these verses don’t say God will get us out of the trial, but rather that He is there with us, helping to maneuver our way through the trial. Believers can find courage in God’s presence during life’s darkest moments, griefs or dangers. God is our Shepherd, protecting and guiding His people, turning our fear into trust and transforms desperate situations into peace, and reminds us to trust in His goodness. When we are in the valley, in the darkness, we can still find our God because He is light. 1 John 1:5 tells us “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” We need to remember, even when we are in the hard valley of life, there is always something good we can find. Think of the physical valleys. That valley usually has the most beautiful foliage and that is where the streams and brooks; brighten those shadows. A place where the broken spirit can go and be refreshed.

As most of you know, I like the Hallmark channel. One of my favorite shows is “When Calls the Heart.” One thing the main character wrote in her journal touched my heart. Here is what she said. “I’ve been thinking about storms. How they roll in-tear thru-sometimes changing a whole landscape in a day. Trees are uprooted-lives upturned-dreams derailed. But disaster of course, also brings opportunity as well. What seems like irreputable damage, it makes room for more growth. And before you know it, things grow back even stronger than they were before. But somewhere in the landscape still carries the memory of the storm for all the upheaval must exact a tole, even on the best of us.” God doesn’t say that we won’t get scars from the storms we face. I know the storms I have weathered have left several scars on me. But they have made me who I am today, preparing me for the next storm in my future.

But I try to trust in God’s promises. I know that when trusting in those promises, in the middle of the storms, is the only way to practice our faith. How else would we have faith? (Read James 1:2-8) We have to go through those storms, in order to use our faith to trust in Him, knowing I can go one step at a time, learning from the storm and realizing that storm, was for my best future purpose and good. Philippians 4:4 and 6-7 reads, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! …Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God; and the peace that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Christians will face storms, but we should rejoice in them because we know God uses them to improve our character. The storms we walk thru, are hard times that are only temporary. They are a passage rather than a final destination. The devil brings storms to intimidate us. Don’t make any decisions based on your thoughts or feelings. Look to God’s word and what you know is right.

Psalm 46:1 reads “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.” God is right there in the storm with us. When your next storm comes, and it will, remember God is ever present in our lives. He is always there for us. We just need to remember to reach out to Him. Whatever the storm is, whether the storm blows us over or helps us stand firm-whether what happens is not the outcome you wanted; remember God is right there in that storm with you. We may have scars from the storm, but they are for our own good-for a better future for us.

Thank you, Lord for being there in the storms of this world with us! Praise God!

Till next time!

                                                Keela