Scheduled Storms!

Hey you! Yes, you. If you’re in a storm right now, I know you trying to figure out how you got there. You’re retracing your steps and actions to see if you did anything wrong. You’re trying to piece together the timeline that’s gotten you in the middle of one of the fiercest storms you’ve ever faced. You’re pleading with God for forgiveness, not only beseeching Him to not only absolve you of your sins but also to deliver you from the storm; yet, He still hasn’t obliged. May I suggest to you that He hasn’t rescued you from the storm because He scheduled it.

As many of you know, the first half of this year has been one of the hardest times of my life. I’ve been in a storm that began to seemingly feel like it would take me out. Six and a half months of relenting and excruciating pain, limited mobility, panic attacks, physical body changes, and psychological distress which felt like it would never end. I was the person asking God to rescue me from the unceasing and raging storm, but He didn’t oblige.

I, too, retracted my steps and actions. I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong to deserve such punishment. Furthermore, I begin to string together a timeline of past events to see if I made a mistake or misstep. Once I couldn’t find anything egregious enough to justify all of this hell that I had and was continuing to face, I began to even more earnestly entreat God for both His forgiveness and His rescuing. After all, He is Our Lord and Savior; He alone could provide His amazing grace and tender mercy. Nevertheless, it seemed like the more I prayed, the worse I felt. Alas, I became frustrated because I felt as though I was fulfilling my purpose and being obedient to God, even in the midst of my storm, but He wouldn’t rescue me.

While watching a rebroadcast of a sermon on YouTube, I was then reminded of James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I’ve been holding onto this passage of scripture for a few months now. I literally hid it in my heart and would remind myself of the power within the holy writ in my weary moments.

Just this past week, I was watching the Crazy Faith series by Pastor Mike Todd, and he said a simple phrase in his sermon that made the past six months make sense. He said that “The storms were scheduled.” Something leapt inside of me, and immediately, I started to rejoice. My storm was scheduled. God is using it to prepare me for the next level of my calling. He will use it to catapult me into my next phase of life. In the words of Tabitha Brown, “Oh God, I thank You.”

I pray that this blog helps you to feel seen. I pray that you, too, can identify the scheduled storms in your life. I pray that you sit still enough to learn all you need to learn from your storm. I pray that you are flexible enough to allow God to mold you through the storm. Most importantly, I pray that you truly allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you will lack nothing when you come out of the storm! I love you my J-Bugs.