Withstanding the Storm

First, I want to apologize for the lack of blog posts the last two weeks. I was sick and then wedding stuff (for myself and my sister) took over. BUT, I'm back and writing and found new inspiration for a blog post just this morning.

I began a bible study called how to be a woman of influence and am absolutely loving it. It talks about living the Christian life as a woman who can have a positive impact on the lives of others, which is exactly what I want to do! It's encouraging, and a little frightening, because you do have to put yourself out there for others, but the rewards far outweigh any fallback.

You do need to prepare yourself to weather the storm. What do I mean by this? Well, think of the lighthouse metaphor. It would be a pretty useless lighthouse if, when ships needed it most in the middle of a crazy storm, it crumbled to the ground. Now think of what that storm could represent in your life. It could be sin, blatant opposition to your faith, struggles financially, with friends, family, or any number of things. It's easy to think God is great in the good times, because we don't really lean on Him too much. The better things go, the easier it is to sit in contentment or think that when a storm comes, of course we'll be ready/able to handle it. Then, it hits, and we realize a life of walking with Jesus can actually be quite difficult.

For example, this morning, I commented on a political news story because I thought it was interesting and after looking at the comments, I thought they had swayed a bit off topic. So, I wrote a two sentence comment saying, "It seems everyone is focusing on this. But, isn't this the real issue at hand?" My intention was to become a part of a dialogue. I had no idea the bloodbath it would leave in its wake. The personal attacks in the comments that followed were shocking.

Those in the bible did not have it easy. Many individuals were jailed, persecuted, and harassed for their faith then, but still they persevered. When we withstand a storm, or even walk into one unintentionally, remain strong and lean on Him. It is not the time to be boastful, arrogant, high and mighty, or headstrong. It is the time to humble yourself, listen, and try to follow Christ even closer because the interference of the storm can be disorienting and disheartening.