Praise You in the Storm

“In their distress they cried to the Lord, who brought them out of their peril, Hushed the storm to a murmur; the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.” Psalm 107: 28-30

Been through any storms lately? Are you in one now? I’m not talking about thunderstorms or tornadoes or blizzards. I’m talking about when the floor of life just drops from under you and you go into a free fall. You don’t know up from down or what is real. You are tossed and thrown about by anger, pain, grief, sorrow or some other emotion brought on by circumstances you didn’t create, want or can control. Life happened and you got stuck in the middle of the perfect storm.

And perhaps you feel like you are sinking. Maybe you are wondering where God is at? As the situation enfolds around you and you are bent low emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually by the force of your suffering, you might see only wind and waves and rain and lightning. You look around frantically looking for a lighthouse, or rescue boat or life ring to save you, but you see none.

And yet God IS there. Not sending you light from the shore, or throwing a flotation device from a boat. He is right there, SO close, that you might not even see Him. Like when you bring your finger up to the bridge of your nose. It is there, but so close that your eyes can’t see it. When we are in the storm, that is where Jesus is at and that is when He is the closest to us. He is not coming to us, because He is already holding us up, carrying us, keeping our heads above water. He is closer to us in this moment than at any other in our lives.

Can we trust that He is there? Can we know His presence even when we can’t feel it or see Him? Because in the end, He does hear our cries and He does steer us through the storm to safe harbors. Little by little, day by day. Sometimes so imperceptible we don’t even realize it and at other times like the calm of the eye during a hurricane. So let us praise the Lord in the storm, knowing He is with us and that He loves us.

Dear Jesus, I know You are here in the midst of my storm, even if I can’t see You or feel Your presence. Grant me consolation and peace and give me the grace to praise You in the midst of this storm even as I trust You more and more. Amen.