Rest In The Storm

Happy New Year 2018! WOW…the new year has blown in with a fury! In my home town of Chesapeake VA, we welcomed in the  new year with a blizzard. The storm dropped a foot of snow on a vulnerable city, literally shutting things down for days, and leaving it’s people, (including me) snowed in. The city was unprepared for the turmoil 15 hours of snow would leave in its aftermath.  There was snow EVERYWHERE!  SNOW, SNOW and more SNOW. As the snow piled up outside,  my soul flooded with unrest.

I had a difficult time understanding why the city was okay with letting mother nature be our snow removal plan. REALLY? I also was having a difficult time comprehending why I was so upset about this. I found myself in a state of unrest. Can anyone relate?I was struggling with the fact that everything which was once familiar to me had suddenly changed.

I am not only talking about the weather. Storms of life can hit unexpectedly and suddenly. Soon you find yourself  navigating a world that looks, sounds, and feels different than anything you previously knew.

How do we respond  when the storms of life unleashes its fierce power upon us, and we find ourselves  snowed in with the aftermath?  Trying to figure out how to navigate the new terrain can be a challenging process.

For the past several months I have been navigating new terrain.  The transition from the West Coast of California, to the East Coast of Virginia has presented plenty of challenges for me, then the blizzard hit! I found myself inside a cyclone of emotions raging around in my head. I had to find a way to make it all stop spinning so I could get my feet grounded once again.

Sometimes uncovering purpose in our everyday life gets messy. For me it was messy both  in the natural and spiritual. I was a bit disappointed with myself.  Has anyone else been there? Why was I  unable to rise above the circumstances and maintain my peace and serenity?  I knew enough to know…when I find myself on the slippery slope of ‘questioning God’, I need to seek His wisdom more than ever. So that I did!

In my frustrated state, I surrendered my feelings and emotions to God and asked Him what He wanted to teach me in this new season. What I uncovered was a surprise to me…REST !  

Storms of any kind bring opportunities to see and experience life with a new perspective…God’s perspective. No matter how different things appear, God is still God. God is love and He is always up to something good (Isaiah 43:19)!

As I began to pray and spend more time in God’s word, seeking His wisdom, I discovered some key principles to resting in God’s love.  No matter how difficult, unfamiliar, or uncertain things may appear. God is near. He is faithful and He will always make a way (Isaiah 55:8)!

Here are five principles I learned about resting in the storm. When I applied these precepts, I learned how to REST in God’s Love even in the midst of the storm! The next time you find yourself engulfed in a storm…choose REST!

• Live In The Present: The future is set before us. We can choose to live in the past, resist change, and complain about how things use to be, or we can look forward with expectancy towards new discoveries. Take the memories with you, but keep moving forward. Life exist in the present moment.

• Don’t be in a hurry: Life is precious. Slowing down the pace of your day, and more importantly the pace of your mind, is key to resting.  I know how difficult this can be for us, but OH so necessary!  In doing so, we have the opportunity to see things more clearly. No need to worry about tomorrow, stay in the beauty of today! Slow down and take a moment to explore each day and the hidden treasures it holds.

• See the beauty in all things: Ask God for eyes to see life through a new filter. A filter of excitement and joy. Beauty is all around us if only we would look for it. The new fallen snow was stunningly beautiful, yet I almost missed its beauty while choosing to focus on the challenges it was bringing my way.

• Be Thankful: Having an attitude of gratitude places everything in perspective. Yes, life can be difficult, and sometimes down-right unfair. Circumstances beyond our control can attempt to mask the beauty surrounding us. Seeds of gratitude yield of harvest of beauty.

• Pull Out the Grace Card: Don’t be so hard on yourself. God’s grace is sufficient to carry you through any storm, ride on the waves on His grace. Rest in HIS PEACE!

God, unlike the blizzard,  will never leave you stranded! He is always nearby with an outstretched arm and wisdom to lead, guide, and direct you throughout this new year. God is up to something GOOD!

Take a moment to bask in the truth that God loves YOU!  All else will seem pale in the excitement of resting in the love of God each day!  May the storm within you BE STILL!

-Lucy Ann

Challenge:

Take one step towards rest today. Pray and ask God to show you what that looks like for YOU! Perhaps you can begin by using these principles to help lead you into Gods resting place!

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