~ "I must go down to the sea again..."

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (Ps 107:20)

If you have ever had a storm brewing within, you will understand the calm that comes before and after. There is always pain involved but is usually emotional pain. We become twisted and aggravated, nervous and agitated and nothing stops the pounding of our hearts against our chests. We pray. We ask for patience and comfort. It comes. We manage to get through the storm and realize it was not as bad as we thought it was. But there is always the "after storm". Just as we begin to settle back in our comfort, it rises up and hits us from behind on its way out. That is the one we didn't see coming! Then we forget to pray again! We put our two cents in and..."wham"... smacked down!

Continuing to have faith that God will bring us through any and everything, no matter what, is not easy to master! I'm not sure if I'll ever truly master it! I am human, thus, I doubt. Wanting immediate relief does not help the situation either. My mother used to tell me that anything worth having was worth waiting for. But even 50 some odd years later, I still want it now, I don't want to wait! Knowing what we want and what God wants are usually two different things. He wants us to be faithful and wait on his timing for us, he wants us to be consistent, he wants us to be whole!

He will calm the storm within us, just as he calms the seas. He will answer our prayers in his own time, and yes, sometimes the answer is "no". But for what is truly his, is truly blessed by him and never will he let go, not even for a second. Have faith that he will send you a life boat and let you drift safely into his loving care.


(photo by Tracey James)