The storm is raging! The fierce winds are blowing, the rain is pouring, and yet I know I am not alone. This too will pass. I have peace.

I have been caught outside in a few nasty storms, trying to find safety for my family quickly. The wind circling around you, the rain beating down blinding your view, lightning flashing, thunder rolling. Like a mother hen gathering her chicks, covering them with her wings until they find shelter from the storm. And once we are safe, I watch over them until the storm passes.

And this storm, no, it’s not a physical, natural storm. Life seems to be torrent of storms. Just as one storm passes, another sets in. Some pass quickly, while others seem to have no end. At times there is damage left in the aftermath.

It is in these storms that we must find refuge in God. He is our guardian, our “mother hen” pulling us under His sheltering arms. It is in Him that we can find rest and peace. He never leaves us alone. Sometimes He speaks to the storm, “Peace be still!” And the winds and waves obey Him. And sometimes He speaks to our heart, “Peace be still! I will shelter you under my wings until this passes. Trust me.”

In my yard, I have a huge sycamore tree. The branches of this tree are the size of tree trunks. If you stand in front of my tree with your arms outstretched, the trunk in wider than your arm span. During storms, I like to watch how this tree responds. I watch the branches sway in the wind. This tree has weathered many storms. Yes, sometimes branches, (the size of young trees, up to 6 inches in diameter) have fallen. But this tree has learned that if it stands firm against the storm, it will break. It has found that if it sways with the wind, yes, it will lose some young branches, but the damage will be minimal.

I have heard that during a hurricane, palm trees will bend low in the storm. This protects them from being uprooted or broken off and destroyed. Their bending is like our kneeling in prayer when the storm rages.

When storms rage in my life, I like to remind myself, that this storm may cause me to bend. I may lose a few branches, suffer some damage. But when I place my trust in Jesus, He will not let me break. No matter how long the winds blow, the rain pours, He will never leave me.  This too will pass. The sun will shine again, and I will lift my head, and raise my arms, and I will praise Him for His faithfulness and protection.

“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side
[troubled and oppressed in every way],
but not cramped or crushed;
we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed
and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven),
but not deserted [to stand alone];
we are struck down to the ground,
but never struck out and destroyed;”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (AMP)

“HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall remain stable and fixed
under the shadow of the Almighty
[Whose power no foe can withstand].
I will say of the Lord,
He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God;
on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!”
Psalm 91:1-2 (AMP)