The calm after the storm

Currently, I am sitting in a hotel in Florida right after an event that just got over.  The day after the event.

Let me give you a quick idea of just how big this event was.

There were over 3000 people who attended live and about 2000 who attended virtually.  So, it was no small feat to make this event happen.

I’m just glad that I was attending, not putting it on. 

(yet)

In the near future, we hope to host an event for Christians that is so epic that everyone will want to attend! But we are not there yet.

But shhh don’t tell anyone. Hey, you have to DREAM BIG!

Anyways.

Starting an hour before you let anyone in the doors there was constant noise in the hallways, people were there and ready to get in and get the best seats.  Some were sitting holding their place in line to get the “best” seats. 

Everyone was chatting.  The noise was pretty massive.

Then when they opened the doors to let people in it was mass chaos.  Everyone is looking for the BEST seats and talking amongst each other.

Imagine the noise.

Can you see it?

Just imagine that episode of Friends where the 3 girls go to pick out Monica’s dress in New Jersey and there is a HUGE gathering of brides-to-be at the doors to the shop.  

Now magnify that by 100X! lol

But a day later, less than 12 hours. The hallways are silent, only 1 or 2 people pass by as I write this devotional.  It is silent.  We can actually hear the hotel music playing softly over their speakers. 

It is the calm after the storm.

We all hear about the calm before the storm, but often forget that after the storm it is calm again.

Can you think of any storms that have happened recently in your lives? 

What did it feel like while you were in the storm?  Overwhelming? Stressed out? Scared of something not going right? Maybe you won’t make it through it?

Maybe all of those things. 

What you need to realize is that God has got this under control.  He is here for us.  He leads to where we need to be. 

In fact, he holds our hand through the process, even if we can’t see, hear, or feel him. 

He is there.

When we stop living our lives and start living the life God wants us to live. Things change. 

We stop seeing storms as harsh as they really are.

Remember when there was a pretty bad storm and Jesus was out at sea.  What happened? What was he doing?

Sleeping!

That’s right he was literally SLEEPING in the hull of the boat.

He trusted the Father, God so much that he could sleep through a raging storm while on a little boat out at sea. Mark 4:35-41

Their lives were literally at risk, the boat was getting tossed around like a rubber duckie in a bathtub while cousins or siblings played.

And he could sleep because of the amount of trust and faith that he had in God.

He also knew that after the storm there would be calm.

We use these great stories to teach from because they are literally the best stories in the WORLD to use.  God hand picked them, wrote them down, and gave them to us.

He gave us a book filled with wisdom, knowledge, faith, love, and guidance to follow. 

It is our job to pick it up.

It is our job to trust God.

It is our job to make sure that WE don’t get overwhelmed in the middle of the storm. Because just after the storm that’s when we find the calm and peace that he really wanted to have all along.

Take action

When was the last storm that you persevered through?  No, I don’t mean a hurricane, I mean a storm in your life.  Maybe someone caused your life to be harder than it should have been.  Maybe it was a bad decision you made that caused the water ripple. Maybe it was something that you just got caught in the middle of because you thought you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What was it?

Say it out loud.

How did you feel while you were persevering through the storm? 

Excited, scared, rushed, annoyed, aggravated.  What feelings did you have?

Now, what happened right after the storm?

Did it calm down? Were you able to see clearer than when you were in the middle of the storm?

How did you feel then?

Excited, relieved, happy, stressed, drained, angry.  What were your true emotions?  Don’t fake it, don’t give yourself the answer you want, be honest with yourself.

Did God protect you?

You bet he did! 

Did he give you what you wanted? Maybe not. 

But did he give you what you needed?

You bet he DID!

Now thank him for giving what you needed instead of what you wanted! And thank him for helping you get through the storm.  Also, take a second and thank him for giving you the storm so that you could grow into the person he NEEDED you to become.