A Personal Storm

Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV) Says, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

In the above passage of scripture we are asked if we have heard, and if we know that God is everlasting. I as well as most, if not all of you, would answer yes to both questions. We are reminded that He is Lord, that He is the creator of all, that He never faints or grows weary. He has understanding that goes beyond anything we can imagine. We are told that He gives power to those who are faint, He gives them might, and increases their strength. We are also told that even young men grow tired and weary, and that they sometimes fall. We are then promised that if we wait upon the Lord He will renew our strength, we shall mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not be weary, and that we shall walk and not faint. It is so comforting to know that, when we are facing a personal storm we can count on our Lord and Savior to strengthen us in the midst of it, stand with us in the center of it,  walk with us through it, and bring us out on the other side.

Like all of you, I have been through times in my life where I have grown tired, and weary. I like you have faced more than one personal storm, and to be honest, I have been facing a very large one for  a few months now. My Daddy, whom I love more than words could ever possibly convey, is very ill, and his illness has taken a toll on him physically. It is tremendously difficult for me to even look at him without crying, because he looks nothing like the pillar of strength that I've known all my life as my Daddy. Our conversations normally consist of joking with one another, and talking about things going on in the family, but this hasn't been the case of late. At his choosing we now discuss memories from as far back as my childhood, things he wants me to take care of, and things he wants me to know before he passes away. I tell him how much I love him, and how much I appreciate all he's ever done for me. I tell him what a wonderful Daddy he is, and how blessed I am to have him. His being ill is so difficult for me that before I enter his bedroom to talk with him I ask God to take the lump out of my throat, and to give me the strength I need to visit him, and to say what I want to say to him, while leaving my tears outside the door. I am not sharing this for sympathy, but rather as a testimony to the power of God, and His willingness to see us through our storms. Each and every time I visit my Daddy, I call on God for strength and ask Him to stand with me. Each and every time I call my Daddy on the phone I call on God and ask Him for the strength I need to control my emotions throughout our  conversation, and each and every time I call on God He answers me. Not only does He answer me, He answers me within seconds of hearing my prayer. He provides me with the strength I need to face what I'm facing, and He stands with me through it all.

Let me make it clear that there is nothing wrong with weeping when we are sad, and I've done quite a bit of that recently, but I don't want to break down and cry in front of my Daddy. I don't want our phone conversations, and visits to consist of me sobbing, and him consoling me.  I shared this story to let you know that I can testify firsthand that God keeps the promises, and fulfills the truths in the above passage taken from Isaiah. Lately, on more than one occasion, I have grown tired, weary, and weak. I can tell you that without the power of God, His strength, and His presence as I walk through this personal storm I would fall. There is no doubt about it. Thankfully, God has given me the strength I need, He has held me up, comforted me, and has been with me every step of the way.

If you are facing a personal storm, call on God. Go to Him in prayer, tell Him you're tired, weary, and weak. Ask Him to give you strength, and walk with you through your storm. He will answer you. He has not failed me, and He will not fail you. If we attempt to go through storms without God then we will fall, but when He walks through them with us, we are able to stand. I know this firsthand because I am standing. I've heard many people question where God is in their storm, but that is not a question I have to ask because I know where He is in mine. He is walking with me, giving me strength when I grow weary, and He is holding my hand.

Since writing this blog, my precious Daddy has gone home to be with the Lord. I just want to take a moment to thank God that I know for a certainty that my Daddy is with him in Heaven for eternity, and for the comfort of knowing that I will see him again one day. I want to thank God also for the strength and comfort that He gives me as I walk through the pain of such a tremendous loss in my life. I also want to thank God for all of the lessons He has shown me throughout my Daddy's sickness, his passing, and in the days that followed. Finally, I want to thank God for blessing me with loving family members and friends who have been there to love and support me every step of the way. God bless each one of them. 

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.