Today’s scripture: Romans 8:28 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynnette Pullen):
I’ve heard it said that in life we are always in one of three situations: heading into a storm, going through a storm, or coming out of a storm. I tend to agree with this philosophy, as dismal as it may seem. Right now, you could say that I am in a pretty wicked storm. Although this is not the first (and by nature of said philosophy, certainly not the last) that I will encounter, this one has been particularly brutal and all encompassing. I have admittedly struggled to keep my head above water and constantly find myself gasping for air. I can’t seem to recover from one wave before another comes crashing in. It’s a tough place to be, but perception is everything in surviving and learning to thrive in a storm. I’ve heard Joel Olsteen say that “Nothing happens to you; it happens for you.” So then, I ask myself, “What is this storm doing for me?”
When my daughter was little, she had an allergic reaction to something she ate. Her face, chest, and legs began to swell and fill with red marks. She started to complain of an itchy throat, and I knew what was coming next. I rushed her to the emergency room. As I ran toward the desk with her in my arms, the staff, realizing something was wrong, ran toward me. They took her from me, and we hurried to the back. By this time my daughter was panicked. She was having difficulty breathing and couldn’t understand why strangers had taken me from her. The nurse announced that she needed an epinephrine shot to stop the reaction. My daughter was terrified and looked me in my eye as if to say, “Mommy save me!” I could tell that she thought the medical staff was trying to hurt her. The nurse tried to administer the shot in her leg; my daughter bucked and screamed, causing the needle to come out and medicine to go everywhere but in her body. We needed to stop this reaction or her throat could swell shut. I climbed on top of the examination table and pinned her down. I looked in her eye and commanded her to “Sit still.” I could tell she was as confused as she was afraid, but there was no time to explain. She seemed to sense the gravity of my words and obeyed. In that moment, I appeared to be doing something to her, not for her; but, see, I know my child. It would have been pointless to ask her to calm down and relax; she was absolutely petrified. I knew she needed the medication, and I did what I knew would get her to sit still immediately. The nurse was then able to give her an epinephrine shot. As soon as it was over, I picked her up and held her close. We cried together for a good while. I’m not sure she ever understood why I seemed to be hurting her, but she knew without a doubt that I loved her. By the very nature of love, she knew that I wanted what was in her best interest.
That is how I am choosing to view this storm. It seems as though God is doing things to me. There are things that hurt and scare me. I look at God and beg to be saved. It feels like God is holding me down and screaming at me to “Sit still.” But deep in my soul I know that God loves me and is doing things on my behalf; despite the how terrifying things get, I will sit still and receive the healing that I need. Romans 8:28 states: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love [God], who have been called according to [God’s] purpose.” That means that things that don’t appear to be helping me could be potentially saving my life. I don’t really understand why things have to hurt or be frightening at times; but then, that’s not for me to know. God’s ways and thoughts are nothing like mine (Isaiah 55:8). I will stop bucking and writhing around in fear and acknowledge the awesome existence of God in my life (Psalm 46:10). So what is this storm doing for me? Among other things, it has strengthened my faith and given me greater understanding of God’s purpose for my life. I’m not sure I’ll ever know the full extent, much like my daughter never realized what I did for her, but who knows . . . maybe it saved my life.
Prayer for the day: Thank you, God, for the storms in our lives. While we may never really fully understand the purpose of trials in our lives, we ask that you help guide us through and comfort us when it’s all over.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.