When Storms Come…and They Will
As a resident of Florida, we are among the envied by the millions of northern U.S. folks weathering another winter storm, dropping on them a foot or more of snow this week. Even this morning, we saw Instagram photos from relatives shoveling snow from sidewalks and driveways in New England. In contrast, days with temperatures in the 70s here in Florida should cause us to appreciate the blessing of living here even more.
I know from personal experience, however, that we Floridians are not without our own weather challenges, especially with the Summer storms in the form of hurricanes. Our storms are typically wetter and involve much stronger winds than the Winter snow storms up north. The point is, though, in just about any place you live, you will probably face occasional stormy weather.
Life also has its own storms. No, I’m not talking about weather. What I am referring to are the challenges we all may face at one point or another during our lives that may come in the form of sickness, disease, car accidents, financial problems and others. I have not met too many people who have not experienced some type of storm in life. Thankfully, these storms, like the weather type, are temporary! They come and then leave.
And that brings us to the first point among others that we should remember when facing storms in our lives.
Storms come and then they go
As a native Floridian, I have grown used to hearing reports of approaching storms many days in advance of any activity. That, obviously, gives the needed time to prepare and gather any necessities. Thankfully more often then not, the actual storm lasts just no more than a couple to a few hours. And while there can be potential severe damage during the storm, it eventually passes.
In life’s storms, reminding yourself that they are temporary helps to give us perspective. Knowing that something won’t last gives us hope and assurance that better things are ahead. Storms never last!
Pray
As Believers in Jesus, we have been given authority and power to pray and ask God for protection, guidance and wisdom, among other things. Praying activates God’s angels of protection over us and the ministry to us and our family. Pray and keep praying!
Take an inventory of things
This can be taken a couple ways. One, it’s always good to take a physical inventory or your belongings and assets. You should also take pictures of your belongings for possible insurance purposes after the storm in the event you must make a claim for any losses. Two, take inventory of the blessings God has given you. Doing so causes us to be more thankful to God and to love Him more.
Counting your blessings helps us to remember all the folks who have played significant roles in our development. Write the names of these people down and review them and/or add to the list regularly.
Stay in contact with those closest to you
We are told during the times of an approaching storm to jot down the names and contact information of our closest family members, friends and neighbors. If you need help, typically, they’re just a phone call or text message away.
In a storm of life, keeping in contact with close friends or family is always good advice. It may be advice or counsel you need. You may have an important decision to make and having the ear of those closest to you can be invaluable. Stay in touch!
Learn and grow
When you are on the backside of a storm, either weather or life, take the time to assess things, document how you reacted or responded and then determine how you can improve if and when the same type of storm returns. In fact, this would be a great time to meet with a close contact and run things by them. You would be surprised by how much you can learn from the different perspective. Always look for the opportunity to grow!
