My "Ah-ha! Moment"

Let’s not beat around the bush here…. 

I’ve been very discouraged lately.  I’ve been questioning what God was doing, wondering “where” He is and flat out distancing myself from Him.  My prayer life was becoming…. stale.  I am not proud of all of this.  But I am very happy to be speaking about this in PAST tense!  Whew!

Alright, I am aware that the world does not revolve around me.  I do, however believe that we have to pay very close attention to what God is doing around us and listen to what He’s teaching us.  He may use one thing to teach each one of us a different lesson.  That’s part of the beauty and magnitude of the God we serve.  Incredible. 

So here is the story of my…..  “Ah-ha! moment”….

On Thursday evening (March 1), my newsfeed on Facebook was full of comments about “extreme severe weather” coming to our town the next afternoon.  News was spreading fast that storm chasers were catching flights to Middle Tennessee, someone from the Weather Channel was coming to the Nashville area and our “Tor:Con index” was a 7 (meaning we had a 70% chance of destructive tornadoes within a 50 mile radius). 

This “Tor:Con index” increased to a 9 on Friday (March 2)- - meaning there was now a 90% chance that we would have tornadoes!  The radar for Middle TN was almost completely red, showing waves of storms coming straight for us.  Local news stations and the Weather Channel were saying we had a “severe threat for long track violent tornadoes” and “Quick action may need to be taken during this severe weather outbreak to protect your life”. 

Whaaaaaaat?!  I had never heard such panic and mayhem from meteorologists!  90% chance of tornadoes?!  And long track tornadoes?!  Storm chasers?? HERE?!

I was scared.

Erik was at work and I made a game plan to pack up Rascal and Zoe, grab my emergency kit and head to my dear friend’s house so we could seek shelter together.  (By the way:  my emergency kit included our wedding photos and video, honeymoon pictures, marriage certificate, birth certificates, passports and my Bible.  J  haha!  Maybe next time I should throw in some water or something!)

My nerves were shot.  I was on and off the phone with different family members, Erik and a few friends.  We were all making plans and giving each other advice…. “cushion your safe room”, “grab a flashlight”, “make sure your phone is charged”, etc.

In the midst of my panic, something came over me- - an extremely peaceful confidence.  Something clicked.  I knew that we were going to be fine.  I was on the phone with a friend and told him that I was “confident that the storms were going to miraculously miss us altogether.”

I still packed up Rascal and Zoe, grabbed my “emergency kit” and headed to my friend’s house.  We watched TV and the radar was still showing all of those storms coming at us from the southwest.  Tornadoes were touching down in nearby cities going at least 60 mph.  We were under tornado watches and warnings but I just knew we were not going to experience a tornado.

I prayed to God like I haven’t prayed to Him in a while.  Instead of asking God to spare us from the storm it was more like- - “wow, God, thank You so much!  I know we’re going to be fine!”  And I believed it!  Without a doubt!!  I feel like God was telling me, “Remember me?  Remember this relationship of ours?  This peace?  It is yours.  It always has been and always will be.”

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” ~Mark 11:24 NIV

“Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7 NCV

This was it!!  This was what I’d been missing!!  How did this faith slip away from me?!  I used to have this confidence in God but somehow, like I mentioned before, it had become stale.  My prayers had become stale AND my faith had become stale.

I do not know exactly how this renewal of faith came over me.  But what I do know is this:  in order for God to wake me up from my life of stagnant faith, He had to do something big. 

God used that powerful storm for other purposes, no doubt, but I know He also used it to renew my faith and teach me a lesson.  All odds were against us.  Storms WERE coming.  The atmosphere was in perfect condition to formulate disastrous tornadoes.  There was NOTHING I could do about it.

Then- - the storms came.  They were violent and unpredictable.  But we were protected.  We were spared. 

God reminded me of His great power.  He controls those massive storms.  His hand is on everything.  He has a purpose for everything. 

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT    

If I can trust Him in a MASSIVE, uncontrollable storm, surely to goodness I can trust Him with my life!  We may not have a literal radar for our lives like on the weather channel but this I know for sure…..  our struggles, hurts and disappointments (our “storms”) in life are only passing through.  We may not see them coming or be able to track them but does it matter??  Those “storms” are temporary!  God has PROMISED us better days!! 

“”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “” ~Jeremiah 29:11 NIV         

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28 NIV

Of course God blessed us with the most gorgeous day full of bright sunshine and blue skies the day after the storm.  Fitting, huh?  J  

God is huge, powerful, in control, good, loving, faithful and generous.  Peace only comes from trusting in Him and surrendering to His will.

In my next post I’ll talk more about how we can be confident in our prayers to God.  God’s reminded me of simple truths from his word- - I hope I’m able to encourage you with His reminder.  J

Happy Sunday friends!!!!