Braving the Storm

Read: Psalm 46:1-7 “I miss our old house,” said Tomás. He sighed as he thought about why they had moved into a trailer on Grandpa’s farm. First his little brother, Felix, was seriously injured in a car accident. Then the company Dad worked for went bankrupt, and it had taken him quite a while to find a new job. Tomás knew living in the trailer on the farm saved a lot of money. “But it’s kinda nice to be living near Grandpa,” he said. “I like that too,” replied Mom. “It’s one of the blessings that has come along with our troubles.” She glanced out the window. “It’s terribly windy today, and I think we’re in for quite a storm. Let’s get over to Grandpa’s house. We’ll be safer there.” Mom picked up Felix and they hurried over to the farmhouse. “I think we’d better get downstairs,” Grandpa said soon after they got there. “I don’t like this wind.” So they went down and huddled together in the basement. Even there, they could hear the storm raging outside. “Let’s pray,” Grandpa said. He prayed out loud, thanking God for the rain. I can’t believe Grandpa didn’t even ask God to stop the storm! Tomás thought. When the storm finally did stop, they hurried out to look things over. “It’s still raining a little,” said Mom, “but look at the beautiful rainbow the storm brought us!” “Grandpa, when you prayed, why didn’t you ask God to stop the storm?” Tomás asked. “Well, the storm was really a blessing. It brought the rain we needed so badly.” Grandpa smiled at Tomás. “You know, sometimes it takes storms in our lives to bring special blessings too. When everything goes the way we’d like, we often forget how much we need Jesus. But when we go through difficult times, we learn how much He loves us as He takes care of us and walks with us through our struggles.” Mom nodded. “I’ve learned that when God allows storms to come into my life, He can use them to help me know Him more deeply and trust Him to see me through them.” “Right!” said Grandpa. “Having faith in Jesus and trusting Him to give us strength will help us brave any storm that comes our way.” –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Are there storms in your life right now? Is someone you love sick? Are you having trouble with friends or siblings? Is money tight at your house? You may never know the reason for the storms in your life, but you can trust Jesus to be with you and help you through them. Remember how much He loves you and be thankful for the blessings He brings through the storms. Today’s key verse: Count it all joy…knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: Trust Jesus in life’s storms