Encouragement

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Are You in a Storm?

It was early morning, and the sky gave the promise of a nice day. I had an
out-of-town meeting to go to, and I've never liked to drive in the rain; so it was
with a sense of relief that I got on route 309 and headed north.

I was halfway to my destination when out of nowhere, it seemed, the sky
turned black. My heart began to beat fast, and I prayed the threatening
storm would dissolve into the elements.

No such reprieve. Before I could find a place to pull over, the rain came
down in torrents. I prayed for calmness in my spirit.

“Oh, God, please calm my spirit. Please help me to do this.”

It was like all of heaven opened up and dumped the contents of each
cloud on my windshield. All I could see was rain water. In that moment
of time, I felt like I was alone on the other side of the world, and no one
knew my situation. My hands gripped the steering wheel. I screamed,

“Jesus! Have mercy on me!”

Instantly, the torrents stopped. I screamed again, as I realized I was driving
in the opposite lane. I jerked the steering wheel to the right. I was amazed
that no car had been traveling south, and I shook as I adamantly said,

“Lord! As soon as I can find a place to pull over and turn around, I’m
going home!”

As sure as my name is “Barbara”, I heard the Lord say, “If you do, you will
never be able to go where I plan to take you.”

Isn’t it something, how one word from the Lord can change everything?

I knew with that one statement, I had a choice to make. I could turn
around and go back home. He would not stop me. But if I turned around
and refused to go forward, I would somehow mess up God’s plan for my life.

If I continued on, despite the trauma my soul was in, and despite the rain
that was now falling, again, I would somehow be in agreement with His will
for my life.

Thank God, He has given me an obedient heart. I chose to continue on, in
my journey. I hit a couple other downpours, but nothing like the initial one.
By the time I got to my meeting, my spirit had calmed down, and the rain
had turned into a sprinkle. I had a sense that something "big" had happened
in the spirit realm, because I had chosen to keep driving, in the natural realm.

That traumatic event last spring, has caused me to think about the many
“spiritual” storms I’ve encountered in my Christian life. Some, I saw
coming, and others caught me “off-guard” much like the natural one I just
shared with you.

Some spiritual storms have threatened to consume me. Like that day last
spring, blackness has come upon me “suddenly”, and almost suffocated me.
I’ve experienced fear, and been a prisoner of the dark. Some storms
have left me wishing for death. Death, it seemed, would be a welcome
relief.

Through the spiritual storms in my life, the many downpours of warfare against
my soul, I've learned, just as I did on route 309 heading north that day, I always have a choice to make.

I can go back. I can retreat. I can fall off the edge. I can drown in buckets of spiritual torrents of rain being dumped on my life. But if I go back, if I retreat,
I will abort my destiny with God.

I can keep traveling on. I can choose to cry out to God in the middle of the storm, “Father, have mercy on me!” I can choose to trust that He knows what He is doing in my life.

I can let him take hold of the steering wheel of my life, and lead me in the
direction of his perfect plan for me. It is only in continuing through the storm,
and not retreating, that He can fulfill his destiny for me.

Are you in a storm?

Are you paralyzed by fear? anger? hate? unforgiveness? shame?

May I encourage you to continue on, and not retreat?

You can make it through the storm. When you get to the other side,
you will be the stronger for it. You will be free.

Isn’t that what Jesus came to do...to set you free from Satan's hold
in your life?

Your faith in your God will take on a new spiritual maturity, only the storm
could bring.


Copyright 2005
Barbara Thompson-Young

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