Weather Any Storm With Grace

       There are times where I doubt, times where things feel like too much. That's been my life since about December, it has seemed that my family has been hit relentlessly with one struggle after another. It's felt like we have had barely enough time to recover, if any at all, from one struggle before the next one hits. Some struggles have been of the financial nature like when my car broke down on the way to work two months in row and needed major repairs both times, while others have pertained to mental or physical health issues with ourselves and/or family members. And through all of this we are still trying to get pregnant and dealing with that disappointment each month when we have find out we weren't.
       It's all very hard emotionally for us, and sometimes pretty heartbreaking or disheartening. Sometimes it all starts to feel like too much, then in those moments when I am struggling, I just pray 'God when is it going to stop! I've had enough and can't take anymore!' But the problems are still there so I talk to one of my good friends here online, a family member, read the Bible or watch a sermon. I reach out to them or to God with my heart and ask them for advice and comfort, and I'm never disappointed, especially when reaching out to God. How can that be though without the instant answer most of us want?
       Because I know that whenever I reach out to God, He hears me. There typically isn't an instant change, my husband wasn't miraculous healed over night from anxiety and neither was myself. But I have learned through all of this struggle to trust in Him and to believe His word. It's because I have learned to see Him working on my heart and the hearts around me. I can identify the slight changes in each of us that slowly grow as we pray about things, I feel the slight changes in my own heart and how I think and feel emotionally change, as I pray. I have seen the answers to prays show up at the very last minute but never too late, I have seen little mercies in the kindness of people to us, and I have literally felt God's presence sweep over me providing comfort and revitalizing me.
         I have learned through all the struggles now, the ones that came before, and spending time in the word each day how to recognize God moving, and because of this with each struggle my faith grows, not diminishes. I didn't write that to brag on myself, but because I want you to know that this opportunity is open to you too. You don't have to go through life feeling miserable and hopeless, there is hope in the Lord. Learn His word, learn His promises to us, fill yourself on Him and you will be satisfied! Look for God in the hearts of those around you, and be grateful for little mercies. It likely won't happen over night, but if you do these things and stick with them even when it's tough I can promise you won't get swept away by the storm as the house on shifting sands did, but stay on the Rock, Jesus, the firm foundation and you will find you can weather any storm with grace.               
     
Psalm 34:17-20

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

  
Nahum 1:7        
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.