The Calm After the Storm

     
     Stating the obvious, storms are noisy. Thunder booms and lightning crackles across the sky, high winds howl through the windows as they toss objects around like tumbleweeds rolling across a desert floor. Heavy rain pounds on rooftops adding to the cacophony disrupting the night. I know my description probably doesn't even come close to some of the storms you have endured. I mean think about it, have you ever went to work the day after a huge storm and when you start talking about how intense the weather was at your house, someone inevitably states, "Huh, it hardly even rained at my house last night." At other times, I have been on the other end of that conversation and a friend or colleague shares about the destruction their neighborhood experienced during the previous night's storm, while our home sat peacefully overnight on that same exact evening.
     Just as the physical storms we endure are unpredictable, so too are the figurative storms we experience in our own lives each day. The downpour of emotions related to divorce, drug addiction, overwhelming debt, or possibly even the death of a loved one is easily comparable to the physical storms that hit and the ensuing damage they wreak. During these storms life is noisy as well, and the aftermath of life's storms can be just as devastating if not more devastating than the outcome of one of nature's weather disasters.
     Both the literal storms that nature evokes on our lives, and our own figurative storms of life we encounter provide the basis for today's FTM Thought. We each have storms that we must endure, yet after the storm passes we also each can experience the calm after the storm. We have to embrace the storm, survive its torrent rains, hold tight when the thunder shakes the very foundation of our shelter, and then we await the warm light of sunrise as the aftermath lies in front of us. It is our job to embrace the calm after the storm instead of focusing on the chaos created by the storm.
     The story of Jesus calming the storm during a sea journey with his disciples illustrates this point in clear and vivid form. In Mark 4:35-41 Jesus was awakened from his sleep by the disciples because they feared their boat was getting ready to be overtaken by the fierce winds and waves of the moment. Jesus' command "Peace, be still" were meant for both the storm and also for the disciple’s fearful mindset. God is with us in the storms of life, and just as His son calmed the storm on the sea for the men on that boat, He offers that same "peace" to you and to me.
     It is our job to endure the storms of life, it is God who provides the assurance of calm after the storm. That assurance is what gives us the confidence to stay strong during the storm, never letting go of our faith that God is there to provide the calm after the storm. Hold tight, keep your faith close, and embrace the chaos that will ultimately provide the peace and calm of God's promise to you. “Peace, be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10
Coach Carter