We all weather storms in life, don’t we?

I had a recent health scare that could have been considerably more stormy than it really was.   But there was a time of uncertainty that was a bit unsettling.  I feel blessed that I  felt God’s presence during that time and was very much at peace with whatever came about.  I knew in my heart throughout the weeks of unknowing that it would all work out.  

Of course, not everyone has that peace of mind through the storms in their life.  Without being grounded there can be a lot of stress, anxiety, fear, even hopelessness.  It got me to thinking about the parallels between the many different varieties of natural storms and the storms in our lives.  In this week’s podcast, I talk about varying degrees of storms we experience in our lives and the corresponding degrees of physical storms we can experience in nature.  

The range from a nagging feeling that something isn’t right – similar to a drizzle of rain that is easy to ignore – to a cancer diagnosis or death of a loved one that is impossible to ignore, much like a tornado or hurricane.  

Some are simple annoyances, some alter our lives for a time, and some change our lives forever.   

Do you remember the story we learn in Sunday school about the two men who built houses along the sea?  The first man built his home right on the sand and the other built his home on a rock.  When the waves of the storm came, the first man’s home was washed away in the waves.  The second man’s home stood firm because it was built on a solid foundation. 

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

We will only be able to fully withstand the storms of life if we both listen to Christ and obey his commands.  Sadly, most people don’t think about their life’s purpose or truly where they are headed.  They just keep doing what they do without any thought of where the path they are on leads. They don’t realize that a storm is coming and don’t take time to build a lasting relationship with Jesus.  So many, myself included for many years, are headed for destruction, not because they are being stubborn, but because they aren’t thinking about the consequences of their actions.  

The good news is, as long as we are still living, we still have time to change.  We still have time to build what is left of our life on the rock and begin to live in the peace that comes with following Christ. 

How about you?  Are you in a storm?  Do you need to make some changes so you can avoid the loss that can happen if you don’t come in out of the storm?  Whether it’s staying where you are but missing out on the truly amazing things you are being called to, or if it’s making a commitment to repair your relationship at home or at work, or if its finally figuring out what is causing the health challenges you are experiencing, are you ready to get back on the path to your best life?  

In the podcast this week, I share the story of a tornado that destroyed the home we were living in when I was nearly a year old.  By the grace of God, we survived. I am especially fascinated by this now, as we are learning how experiences we encounter as a child impact our beliefs about ourselves in the coaching mastery course I’m completing in the next few weeks.  

I love how exploring my past impacts who I am today and allows me to revise the beliefs that hold me back from being my best.  

Over the next several weeks, I will discuss the various storms of life and how to deal with them peacefully.  Next week, I am excited to share an interview with a dear friend I met in my coaching world, Anica Marcum.  She is a certified health and grief coach and has much to share about surviving the loss of a loved one.  I hope you will join us next week for that interview and/or blog. I also hope you will stop by in the weeks to come as we discuss troubles in relationships, challenges at work, struggling with body image and weight loss issues, and others. 

I hope you were encouraged by my words today and if you are interested in hearing my thoughts on the parallels between the storms in nature and the storms in our lives, listen to this week’s podcast by the same name.  It can be found here. If you know of someone else who may be in the midst of their own storm, please share this blog or the link to the podcast with them.  

As I close today, I pray that you will live in courageous faith so that you can fulfill your purpose and stay calm in the storms of life.    Good Bless.