Some of life’s storms, such as the loss of a loved one, a disappointment, loss of a job, the end of a marriage, etc., can sometimes come upon us quickly, while others may be slow in the making. Sometimes they may appear as small as a mustard seed, but can evolve to the size of a mountain and can overwhelm us to the point of depression. Yet in the midst of the storm, God equips us to deal with every situation that comes our way.
A very close friend of mine once told me, “When God wants an oak tree, He plants it where the storm will shake it and the rains will beat down upon it, because during those battles with nature’s elements, the oak tree develops character and eventually becomes the king of the forest.” That statement reminded me of my own situation 5 years ago when my father became ill. I ask the Lord not to take him from us; I didn’t think I could deal with the loss of my father, I was not ready for dad to go. I did not get a response from the Lord right away, but dad continued to be ill.
My nephew became ill two months after my dad, and eventually he succumbed to his illness and died. While I was grieving the untimely death of my nephew, my dad died two months later. The strange thing about this was I was able to deal with the loss of my dad without his loss overwhelming me. The Lord answered my prayer and equipped me with the mechanism to deal with that situation, and I was able to help other members of the family.
When God wants to make and shape an individual, He puts them in the storm; it is not by choice, by accident, by selection, or preference but by design. The history of mankind has always been bumpy; there will always be something in our lives that will be in place to shape us and make us. When we have gone through one circumstance, another one will appear. It might pass quickly or it might pass slowly. No one is complete and may never be complete until he or she have been through the storm, knowing and understanding that all of our stormy days can be relieved or made easier with the wonderful fulfillment of prayer and faith in the power God.
Matthew 7:7 tells us, Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. As I enter a new chapter in my book of life and continue to grow in my faith and love for the Lord, knowing without a doubt that the Lord loves me more that I can imagine, I continue to pray that I can see myself the way the Lord sees me – a child of God who is remarkable beyond her own limitations and also understand that my life has already been planned.
God bless,
Vanessa Alexander