I am not afraid of the storms for I am learning how to sail my ship." Louisa May Alcott
In Acts 27, we find Paul and his companions caught in a fierce storm. Thier ship was battered by relentless winds, and despite all efforts to maintain control, they were driven by forces far stronger than themselves. The sailors tried everything-anchoring, securing cargo, and even throwing cargo and supplies overboard to stay afloat. They couldn't even eat they were seasick and exhausted.
YET, in the end, they had no choice but to surrender and trust God to see them through.
In the TEMPEST
"There is Peace, even in the storms," Vincent Van Gogh
This morning, I faced my own storm on a routine run. I was thrown off course from the very start, arriving at the wrong location. As I drove to the right location, I could see the rain pelting the windshield and I knew it was going to be a struggle.
Cold rain and biting wind quickly wore me down, and even though I managed to push forward for miles it seemed like each step brought me closer to the edge of my endurance. Andy, Joe and I were stronger together, I was so happy to have company in my miserable state.
But when they both had to leave, I faced the decision alone: to press on or give up.
At that moment, I felt a deeper struggle. The battle wasn't just against the elements but within my own spirit. I felt every reason to call it quits. But I remebered that God sometimes allows these storms NOT to DEFEAT us, but to STRENGTHEN us, to remind us of His POWER when our own strength is spent.
A SECOND WIND: the IRONY!
"The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next."
Mignon McLaughlin
Tuckering out, the Lord gave me a second wind-a brief, almost miraculous boost to keep me moving forward and not back to my truck!
But then the winds shifted, the rain stung my face again and I wondered if I could keep going. For a moment, the temptation to call Andy for help was strong. Stronger the wind blasting me.
I heard myself, "UGH, I can't do it, I can't make it back to the car like this."
But instead, I held on, taking it one step at a time, counting the telephone poles.
Then I saw that dreadful hill to the parking lot on Fish Lake Road. Truth is, I walked the rest of the way to my car, I realized I hadn't given up, I didn't quit, I just did it differently.
RUNDOWN:
The World breaks everyone, and afterword, some are strong at the broken places."
Ernest Hemingway
Sometimes, life can feel like this TEMPEST. We do our best to set course, but things go awry, sometimes right from the beginning.
We find ourselves in situations where nothing seems to be going right, where the winds of adversity beat against us. Just as the sailors faced a physical storm, we face our own storms, whether emotional, spiritual or physical.
In life and in my running, I have had moments I just feel like surrendering, but in those moments, God meets us with just enough strength to the next step.
The Lord may not calm my storms right away, but He equips me to endure it.
Paul's ship did not escape the storm, and they had a lot of damage and trauma, but they were saved because of ultimately trusting in the Lord's sovereignty.
This was part of my bible study that I read YESTERDAY! Gods word was fresh and real in my struggles. The story of Paul's struggle encouraged me in my own storm today.
- God is Sovreign in our lives.
- I hope you are reminded that the Lord is your STRENGTH when you are weak.
- When the winds are against you it is an invitation to call on HIM
- Be encouraged to trust in Gods timing
- And PRAISE HIM in the storms.
November RUNNING:
October 28-Nov 3
Distance: 65miles
Elevation: 3,000 ft
Nov 4-Nov 10
Distance: 64
Elevation; 2,800
In PEACE, Not Pieces,
Anita