The air raid sirens wailed. Firetrucks drove up and down the streets of the small town in Indiana. We stood on the second floor, looking out of the windows, watching the storm, and laughing at the firemen. We surmised that the firemen lacked anything else to do. We were unaware that a tornado had been spotted near our town. We did not understand that the air raid siren was a tornado warning. We did not know, the firemen were trying to keep people safe. Our lack of understanding was due to our lack of experience. We were from western Montana. We had no experience with tornados. We only knew a severe thunderstorm was occurring.
I have come to realize everyone faces storms in their life. These storms of life often feel like they will uproot the whole world. Many times we fail to recognize the warnings given and the dangers present in the storms of life. This is because we have never experienced these types of storms before. These storms of life will vary in type and intensity. Sometimes they will be a bad weather storm like a tornado that destroys everything we own. Other times it will be a storm in our relationships, or our health, or our finances. Occasionally, the storm will be the death of a loved one. In these storms of life, we will be buffeted by the wind, drenched by the rain, and bruised by the hail. God does not always prevent these storms. When we live in His shadow, He is with us through the storm. God offers us the comfort and the strength to stand throughout the storm.
We will not understand the “why” for every storm that comes into our lives. We may not comprehend the reason for any of the storms we encounter. God is with us whether we understand the storm or not. There is no storm that frightens God.
It is in these stormy times, God reminds us, he wants us, we are valuable to Him, and He is still writing our story. The storms may make us think that our story is over. Yet, God reminds us that our story is not over until He says it is. When the time comes for our story to end, He will give us the grace to face that storm as well.
My sisters and I would huddle around my mother during those severe thunderstorms. Attempting to comfort and calm us, she would take us to the basement or a more central room. Inside the refuge she chose, the sound of the storm was muted. She would sing to us and try to get us to join in. While her efforts did not lessen the intensity of the storm, they did offer us comfort. When mom was there, we had hope. Similarly, God stands with us, encouraging us, reassuring us, and holding us as the storms of life wash over us.
Stormy times arise when we least expect them. They are times when it appears the lies others tell about us are going to win the day. Situations where we feel our character has been assassinated. Times when we are told, we are unnecessary and unwanted. These storms cause us to question whether we have any value. These storms can also make us ask if God still loves us.
I recall a storm in my life. It was a time when everything seemed to have gone wrong. I felt unneeded by the church I attended at the time. I found myself on the outside of the group I had considered friends. The only place that people seemed to accept me was in the secular realm. During this storm, I prayed. I asked God for hope, some sort of an anchor point. His reply was, “Do you believe that I love you?” My first response was a quick affirmation that I did. But God persisted, “Do you truly believe that I love you?” This exchange was repeated daily for a while. I was so damaged from the storm, I did not understand the question. Eventually, I realized that because of all the trauma of the storm, I had started to doubt God’s love. I had begun to question if God still loved me, still valued me, and still had a plan for me. Listening to His voice, I realized He loved me intensely. God had not made unfavorable comments about me. God had not misunderstood my actions and misinterpreted my intentions. It was not God who had said that I was unneeded. It was not God who had indicated I was without value and had no further purpose in His plan.
The storm of accusations whirling around me, the voices of others, had said and done those things. I realized I had to refocus on God and on living in His shadow. There was no doubt the storm was big and scary. It seemed never-ending. I felt like it was impossible to stay anchored during the storm. But God was there, whispering, “I love you” and holding me tighter than I had ever experienced. He was patient with me. Helping me to understand that He was with me and that my story was not over yet.
We try to fight life’s storms by ourselves. We want to believe we can handle anything. God will allow us to try to fight the storm in our strength if we insist. Yet, He welcomes us back when we are overwhelmed by the storm and flee to the refuge of His shadow.
God’s shadow is a place of refuge, healing, and restoration. I can never remember God saying, “See, I told you so.” when I came running back to Him. I have found that He simply starts from where I am and goes about helping me to repair the damage the storm has inflicted. I may beat myself up, saying, “I should have known better.” but He just says, “Do you love me? Will you let me heal the wounds the storm caused?” Everyone is welcome to find the refuge of God’s Shadow.