The Tempest Subsides

I could feel it chasing me down again. The looming cloud of darkness that brings with it depression and despair which threatens to suffocate me in sadness and paralyze me in pain and panic. With a pounding heart and tear filled eyes, I call out to my Savior and plead, “Please, Father. Please, not again. I’ve just been able to catch my breath from the last storm. The sun has come out again and glimmers  of “normalcy”  are finally breaking through.” I know this feeling all too well now and have learned that when the sky overhead begins to grow dim, I had better hunker down and seek shelter because I’m about to be tossed and thrown yet again.

The days that follow are filled with an ocean of heaving emotions that terrify me into thinking that this time the storm is here to stay. I know however, in the deepest recesses of my mind and soul, that this storm is just another characteristic of grief and is writing for me a distinctive story that can only be produced through the pounding rain and gusting winds. And may I remind you that while it may appear Jesus is sleeping through our storms, He is fully aware of the raging waters. He is using these waves to display His glory, so that when they do finally settle, we will be able to look into His precious face and hear Him say to us once again, “Peace! Be still!” With those words, new life is breathed afresh into our hearts and minds. It is here we can begin to clearly see the refinement that took place during the raging rush.

There is a quote from Charles Spurgeon that I’ve been clinging to and visiting over and over again: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” I know how incredibly difficult it is to cope through the tears and pain that come with a broken heart and shattered dreams. For with grief, some days bring light rain or a quick shower that can be followed by the sunshine and rainbows of promise; yet others deliver days of roaring thunder, torrential downpours, and wave after crashing wave.

I just wanted to encourage you that if you find yourself in the middle of the storm as often as I do, to lean into the wave. Don’t try to resist it- it’s okay if it overtakes you. For it’s working for our good and is forcing us to be pulled into His presence. Kiss the wave with me today and brace yourself as we are thrown into the Rock of Ages. The impact may take our breath away, but we can trust that we will be found safe in our Father’s arms where we can rest, until at last the tempest subsides.

Abide in Him Always,

Ashley