First, the rain and then the snow! Storms don’t always come and go and give you time to recover before the next one comes. Sometimes they come fast and furious and hardly let you catch up from the damage left behind the first time around. This is true for us in New Jersey this morning. Looking out at trees already fallen from Hurricane Sandy; they now lay covered in a blanket of wet and heavy whiteness. One can only wonder what might be next; how much can people take?

So it is for you and me personally. I don’t know when my husband started saying this but when “whatever” comes he will say, “If it’s not something, it’s something!”  It’s either the exterior storms that rage and cause power outages, downed trees, homelessness and utter devastation, or it’s the interior storms that swirl right into our guts causing sleeplessness, uncontrollable tears, questions that have no answers and a destruction of our peace.

Ann Spangler in her book The Peace God Promises says, “It’s so easy to forget all the ways God has already helped you if you are focusing on the difficulty you face right now. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). Do these things and the peace of God will be with you! Too often I forget Paul’s sage advice. Instead, I find myself fixated on whatever is threatening, whatever is difficult, whatever is miserable, whatever is bugging me; if anything is broken or bad I think about such things. Little wonder that at such times the God of peace seems far away. Instead of getting distracted by our difficulties, we need to remember the larger picture of what God has promised to do with our lives.”

I don’t mean to belittle anyone’s suffering. My situation through the hurricane could have been so much worse. I am inconvenienced at the most. I am waiting for what others would call minor repairs. I know many of us face BIG storms! Many of you have walked deeper waters than I. Regardless of what storm is on the horizon, has just run you over, or you are struggling to recover from, know this….you can have peace if your “whatever” is focused on the truth of the God who loves you! It’s in times like these where all that training – church, Bible study, conferences – needs to be put into practical practice. Let’s begin with our focus on whatever. (Fill in the blank of your “whatever”). Now, let’s focus on the Whoever: the One who is in control and remains sovereign. Think on the Lord Jesus Christ and regain some peace.

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy’s on staff at America’s KESWICK in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 26 years.  They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has previously served as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.