Love: The One Thing That Will Get You Through the Fiercest Storm
Sometimes we simply need to know we’re loved. Love is that one thing that can carry us through the fiercest storm.
There he lay. Propped on his side, that little plastic penguin seemed to mock the weight of my sadness.
Less than an hour earlier my usually happy daughter had thrown this favorite little toy in anger (or was it frustration?). That served as the beginning of a downward spiral in her demeanor that ended with her in bed and me feeling defeated.
For weeks we’ve struggled to identify the cause of Rachel’s newly manifested mood swings. Her limited ability to express herself makes diagnosis difficult. Medical, hormonal, behavioral, or a combination; we simply don’t know.
My girl is hurting in some way, and I’m desperate to know why.
A New Storm
Each of us will face a new storm from time to time. Some worse than others. This one has created a deep ache in my mama heart.
Yet I’m aware of and praying for friends who are in the middle of even more tumultuous situations. They’re trying to simply keep moving forward during unrelenting tempests.
A son’s cancer diagnosis. The loss of a baby. Broken vows.
These are times we wonder how we’ll ever make it. We wonder where the strength will come from to keep taking that next step. We wonder how we can keep our aching hearts from breaking into a million tiny pieces.
The Love that Always Bears Peace
Yet dare I say it? In the middle of the fiercest storm you can still find peace.
It’s true, I read about it. I experienced it. More times than I remember.
That next morning, the one after Mr. Penguin lost his favored position, I opened my Bible and reread the perfect reminder. Isaiah 54:10 tells us that we have at our disposal God’s covenant of peace, and it will not be shaken.
God’s precious peace borne on a life-raft of His love. It’s mine and it’s yours to hold on to.
The waves pound it … the gale-force winds attempt to swamp it. Yet His love-raft holds, His peace is never washed overboard.
We can count on the deliverance of that peace because we can count on the One who brings it. His love will never be removed from us.
The beautiful words from the prophet Isaiah hold true for us as they did for the Israelites.
“‘Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
My love will not be removed from you
and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’
says your compassionate Lord.” Isaiah 54:10
Oh, the storms may at times be fierce, the mountains may indeed seem to be crumbling around us, but we can stand on the promises of our God. And God’s unmovable love promises you unshakable peace.
God's unmovable love promises you unshakable peace. Share on X
During the most awful diagnoses, during the most painful losses, we have a life raft to grab. And it will do more than keep us afloat.
During the most awful diagnoses and the most painful losses, we have a life raft to grab. Share on X
God’s love delivers a peace we never thought possible, even when being buffeted by impossible winds.
God's love delivers a peace we never thought possible, even when being buffeted by impossible winds. Share on X
You can count on it because you can count on your Lord’s love for you!
Reflections: What storm are you currently enduring? Are you reaching for the lifeboat that will sustain you with an unshakable peace?
It’s been more than 5 years of counting and I’ve well passed 5,000 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! Here are numbers #5409–5429. Read my entire list by clicking here.
- *#EverydayPraise printbook proof done and sent in for approval (nearly there now!); *Great report for Rach at her cleft palate clinic we went to with Mom and then meeting my brother Jeff and his lovely wife, Dianna, for lunch; *Watching Joey play a fabulous football game, although unfortunately they lost
- Morning exercise resumed after several days when I couldn’t; One more hoop jumped through as far as guardianship!; Holy Spirit’s whisper to think (and pray) before I spoke
- Leaves drifting down around me during my morning walk/jog; Doing dishes with Rachel; Friends that keep me informed of our kids’ activities
- Freshness of a cold-morning jog; Sharing a short walk with a friend; Grocery shopping with my college boy in mind
- *Forum for giving voice to my concerns so others can benefit; *Rachel making dozens of zucchini muffins for her brother; *Zach home with his roommate Wes for fall break
- *Rach’s excitement at having Zach home to watch her bowl; *Receiving a letter from my niece who is in Marine Corps basic training; *Hubby getting a nice buck and the boys here to share in the fun and help
- A crowd to cook for again; Keeping Zach’s early birthday celebration a secret until Daniel walked through the door; Being all together for a few hours
By His Grace,
Julie
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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We do have those times when we don’t understand why we have to go through them. My lifehas been full of them. God brings me through them all.
Aw to have your “quiet spirit “. I admire your strong faith. Pray for me to reach that.
Bless you……?
God can take faith, even if it’s only the size of a mustard seed, and use it to His glory, Marianne. The Lord loves you. He has you. He’ll use you for His Kingdom work. Continue to walk with Him and let Him minister through you. God bless you.
Sometimes we have to walk a ways on our journey to look back and see God’s protection and guidance. Grateful for the insight you bring as one who can now see, Cecelia.