Ahhh! The beach! I love it! Honestly, I don’t love to swim in the ocean, but I do love to stand at the shore and feel the waves on my feet or to walk barefoot along the warm sand just at the water line. Sometimes, if the water is warm, I might even sit on the sun-heated sand and let the waves wash over me. That is a peaceful and soothing experience, but the waves also remind me of a difficult truth that we all need to grapple with. As much as we would hope otherwise, life is hard. Trouble comes at us in waves. Some waves just lap at our feet. Some waves push us a little off balance but we quickly regain footing. And sometimes it seems like the waves will pull us under and drown us. I don’t know what hard thing you are going through right now, or maybe you are between hard things in a lull. Whichever the case, it’s a good time to get ready for the next wave. How do you plant your feet before the waves hit so that you don’t fall over? How do you keep yourself anchored in the midst of the onslaught so that you aren’t overwhelmed by the circumstances?
Earlier in my life, when the waves of trouble would break, I felt like the surge of trial would knock me over. But as the years have passed I have made some discoveries that have helped me through, tools for staying upright when the swells come. (Remember, it is when, not if) I recently shared with you about a lost ministry position that turned our lives upside down. That in itself was not the most difficult part of the season. My husband’s struggle with severe depression was the heart of the storm. The strongest waves came from that quarter and were continual even before the ministry loss. The loss was like our ship capsizing in an already turbulent sea. Everything that had brought me stability was submerged in the storm. I didnt know what the future held or how to get through. All I could see or feel for a while were the waves of trouble.
While the winds blew and the rain fell with the waves constantly crashing at my feet I groped my way through the storm and found some things to hold onto. In the midst of all that I was experiencing I found some ways to remind myself of what matters most. I found some tools that helped me to keep my focus on God and not the circumstances. They reminded me of God’s presence. I pray you’ll find them to be a life preserver in your sea of trial.
Ask God for an anchor Scripture. The Word of God never changes. His promises remain true regardless of what is happening around us. Through the storms He has highlighted verses in His Word that have given me a promise to hold onto for encouragement and guidance while the tide is coming in. The church we attended during this particular time had a New Year’s service in which we would write a burden on a piece of paper and drop that in a waste basket as a symbol of putting it in God’s hands and then we would pick up two slips of paper, one with New Testament and the other with Old Testament promises on them. Through the years those verses were often just what I needed for what was ahead or what I was already facing. Other times God would use His “holy highlighter” and cause a verse to jump off the page during my daily quiet time. That in itself, the consistent immersion in the unchanging Word of God, was an anchor, but the verses that He highlighted by His Spirit were truths to stabilize me in the turbulence. They helped me to remember what was most important.
Find a song that expresses your heart and play it often. I am musical, but music speaks to everyone and I think this can be one of your strongest supports. During the storm that I have described I would listen to the Christian radio station or sing in the car. Often a song on the radio would encourage me in the moment, or a time of personal worship (in the car alone) would allow me to pour out my heart and connect with God. Those moments were part of my desperate need to connect with God’s presence so that I could survive. But there was one song on a compilation CD that deeply connected with my heart and gave me a strong anchor in that churning sea. It wasn’t playing on the radio. The only place I have ever heard it was on that CD, but I played it and sang it over and over. The song is called “STAND” and was recorded by Susan Ashton. (Click here to hear the song.) It describes a person walking through a storm determined to stand in grace and remember God’s presence in their trouble. It carried me for months. Feel free to click the link and listen. I hope it encourages you, too, but I know that it may do nothing for you. God will give you one that speaks to you. Maybe He already has. Use it as a tool of encouragement to keep your feet planted in your relationship with Him, your stability in every storm.
Reach out to a friend that knows you and your situation and keep in regular contact. There are some people who constantly let everyone know when they are going through a hard time. Don’t be that person! That drowning person tells everyone because they are frantically grabbing for something to hold onto. You do need at least one person, or a small group of people, that you can be totally open with, someone who will pray with you through this. Someone who will tell you the truth about yourself and, more importantly, the truth about what God says as you work to keep your feet secure on the rock of God’s promises. This is one of the most important things you can do. You need the perspective of someone who is not in your storm. They have a clearer view of what is actually going on in your life. Seek them out. Share with them. Solicit their prayer support. Most importantly, listen to them. They see things you don’t. They can point you back to what matters most.
Purpose not to let your circumstances overwhelm you. This is hard, I know. You may feel like you are going to drown, but you aren’t. In the midst of one of the longest storms in my life I went to a women’s conference. Being surrounded by thousands of women was like a double-edged sword. I felt alone and encouraged at the same time. But in a talk about how to get through trials I heard something that really gave me hope: “Remember that every trial will end.” That truth opened my eyes to sun breaking through the clouds of my squall. I didn’t know know when or how this storm would end but I knew It would. It’s the same for you. Your trial will end. Maybe it won’t end this side of heaven, but it will end. God is not only with you in the midst of it, He is waiting at the end with arms wide open ready to surround you with His presence in a fresh way. You will get to the other side. That’s what matters. Remember, every trial does have an end, including the one your are facing at this moment.
Dear Friend, I know this is hard. Your waves seem bigger, stronger and constant. It’s hard to see an end to all that is happening right now, but plant your feet and stand. Stand on God’s Word. Sing the song He gives you. Seek out one person, or a few people, who will support you in prayer and speak truth. Determine that this trial will strengthen, not destroy, you. You will make it. God is faithful and He will not let you go. That is what matters most. Focus on that and plant your feet in the stormy sand.
Key Thought: Stay focused on what matters most to survive your storm.
A Scripture to consider: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 NIV
A YES Challenge: Take some time in prayer and ask God to show you Scriptures or a song that He has already spoken to you in your current situation. Write them on a card or in your journal and review them regularly. Who is one person that you can share your current struggle with? Make an appointment to get together with them and bring them up to date. Ask them to pray with you and for you. Make sure to keep in touch with them as long as this trial continues.
Prayer: Father, I’ll be honest with You, I have questioned at times whether or not I will make it through this trial. Remind me regularly that You are with me. As long as I keep my eyes on You, I won’t go under. I know that You will not let me go. Thank You for Your faithfulness and love. I choose to trust You now regardless of how big the waves are. You are bigger than all of it. Amen.