Storms of Life

by Michelle Welch

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”
Psalm 107:29 (KJV)

When I was in North Carolina for the birth of middle daughter’s child, a hurricane approached the eastern seaboard. As the clouds rolled in, a stunning array of color and light played across the sky. I sat outside for over an hour, photographing the ever changing panorama laid out in front of me.

I love storms. Their wild beauty both fascinate and terrify me. When I was a child, I stood pressed up against a window, looking out at a particularly intense thunderstorm. A lightening bolt hit outside the window, splitting a tree in our yard. I remember the tingle of the sensation as all the tiny hairs on my arms stood up, the smell of sulfur strong in the surrounding air. In an instant, the landscape was changed by the power of a storm.

This last year has been full of the storms of life for sweetheart and I. We find ourselves on our knees praying for others as often as we are on our knees for ourselves. The lives of our friends and family have been full of the winds of change, the crash of noise and chaos, the blinding light of power, and the floods of fear. We beg our Adonai for His perfect mercy and grace in these times of squalls and tempests.

After every storm, both in life and in nature, there is a feeling of relief. A regeneration begins, a clean up, a sense of newness. The grass gets greener, the birds burst into song, the sky is bright and clear. In life, we pick ourselves up, realize we made it through and start the process of healing the brokenness. As the flood waters recede, the landscape has changed. The road before us is new, a different path, a clearer way.

There will always be storms. From a gentle summer rain storm to the deadly tornadoes and hurricanes that cover our globe, they will always be going on somewhere. We can cower in fear for what might happen or we can be prepared to take whatever steps are necessary for the recovery effort. In our lives it is the same way. We can waste time praying that storms will never come our way or we can work hard at being ready for when they do come. For they will come.

Dearest Adonai, help us prepare for life’s storms. Guide our hearts and hands as we help our brothers and sisters clean up from their storms. Let our minds be open to hear those who need us. If all we can do is pray, let our prayers reach Your ears. Let the beauty of Your power and majesty remind us of the gentleness of Your grace and mercy. When the winds of change swirl around us, let us hold fast to Your Hand, never letting go, never doubting that You are the master of the storms, calming the waves, soothing the wind, breathing life into what was once dead. In Your most Holy name, Amen.

Breath of Life Women’s Ministries

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