My mom has a direct line to God when it comes to weather. Truly, I’m not kidding: she has God on speed dial. In fact, if I needed the race day weather predictions to change, my mom prayed better weather into existence. For example, during the New Orleans Half Ironman, the weatherman forecast thunderstorms which can be detrimental when riding a metal bike through the streets. I didn’t want to get yanked off the road due to lightning, so I put my mom on the case. I kid you not, people, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky on race day. Furthermore, the sun blazed down on NoLa. This got me thinking… wouldn’t it be great if we could pray away the storms of life?
I think it’s safe to say that we have all endured storms (AND…if you haven’t you might want to brace yourself because it’s coming...). Wouldn’t it be great if we had God on speed dial like my mom? Certainly, God does answer prayer, and He does hear us. However, some things we have to endure.
What are some storms of life and how can we make it through?
Storms of Offense
This. Is. Huge. For this reason, I’ve been practicing a perspective shift where I hold myself back from being offended and mentally let the offense ride on ahead of me using mental imagery. Why? Because once we grab hold of an offense, most often, it drags us right into the eye of a “reaction” storm. Unkind words are said, feelings are hurt, and the walls of relationships come tumbling down.
Pray for the freedom to let go before offense takes you down that painful road. Ask for the courage to admit wrongdoing and initiate repairs while realizing that not everyone is meant to be in your life. Additionally, one of the most difficult things for me is trying not to “fix it” (I’m a doer and a fixer). Sometimes there’s nothing to fix, and we need to work on acceptance.
Rains of Worry
Anxiety and worry plague us all. However, the interesting thing (and something I remind myself of often), is that worrying has never changed the outcome of a situation in the history of time. NE-VER. Worrying has never made the result better or worse.
Learn to try to pray through things. Go to God first. He has resources that are not available to the rest of us. Also, if you deal with anxiety but tend not to worry (for me, I can’t always tell where anxiety is coming from but worry typically revolves around a certain situation or circumstance), find some ways of coping which work for you. I like running, painting, putting together puzzles, and cleaning (having things in order soothes me).
Hail of Pain
Pain will come, people, it will. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. None of us is perfect and none of us will live forever. Pain will find us in one form or another (I’m just a ball of joy on this one, eh?).
Build up a core group of friends and activities you enjoy. Pray for God to bring the right people into your life. If you put your eggs all in one basket, that basket has the ability to topple your life. Find a place to serve. I know it seem counter-intuitive to give to others when you are going through pain and are in need, but there is something fulfilling about helping someone else that is a balm for a bad situation.
Life will throw us this way and that way. Use these techniques to pray away the storms of life.
If all else fails? Get a good umbrella; my mom only takes family requests. 🙂
Love, K.
Author of Ten Iron Principles, Contributor in The Power to Make a Difference
K.A. Loved the analogies and pictures you painted here of the inevitable storms of life. Storms can be gift to urge us to take cover in the safest place-the arms of Jesus. Marilyn
Hey Kelly, thanks for the reminder to leave our offenses with Christ and rest in Christ so we aren’t flooded by worry and anxiety. I’m glad my mom will pray for me too, and having prayer support ready is so important. Thanks for sharing.