Storms
“Peace isn’t getting my circumstances to line up the way I want them to. Peace is getting so settled in my relationship with God and my identity in Him that my circumstances no longer have dominion over me.” Mark Harris from Freedom Basics 101 Gateway Church
In case you missed it, Hurricane Harvey, category 4, hit Rockport and Aransas Pass hard this past week, while also doing damage in Corpus Christi. I lived in Corpus Christi for seven years before moving to Guatemala and worked in Portland and Rockport part of that time. It is the place God used to grow me and send me out. People and places there hold a special place in my heart.
Now I am watching as the storm continues to bring tornadoes and flooding to many I know, my dad and many other friends, in the Houston and surrounding areas. I went to physical therapy school at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, the place God used to provide the training for what I am doing today.
Hurricane Harvey stirred up its own storm in me. Many people I know stayed in Corpus to ride it out. I found myself praying, “God protect them. God send the storm away.” Wait! Did I just pray for someone else to get the storm? My prayers brought waves of anxiety, worry, and fear instead of peace. Like a storm, this came in waves and grew in intensity as I watched reports of flooding in the Houston area this morning.
I was helpless to do anything! With that realization and confession, I started to change the way I prayed. I began to remind myself of God’s goodness and declare His promises. The storm in my heart began to subside and there was a peace, even in the middle of the physical storm. I discovered I had been praying anxious prayers. When I changed to prayers of faith, the storm quieted and my heart filled with peace and hope.
There may be a way I can help from here. Seeing God provide, in the middle of the storm in my own heart, delights me to no end. Time will tell how it will all unfold, but for now I’m at rest knowing I can rest in Him. I don’t like the storm, and how it is impacting those I know and don’t know, but I still trust in Him. May He be glorified through those that do know Him in this storm, and may they find the peace that only comes from Him.
The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms… Deuteronomy 33:27 NASB
Kay Meador
August 28, 2017Jenn, it is 3:42 am and I can’t sleep because my mind and heart are with those devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The rains continue and I am safe and dry, yet I feel the pain of so many who are hurting. I am reminded of the mantra of one of my mentors in the faith. She would say, “I don’t like it. I would not choose it. But, with God’s help I will get through it.” We, as the hands and feet of Christ, will need to be the ones who offer help to those who will need to rebuild their lives, be it physical or spiritual.
Jennifer Hoines
September 4, 2017May God give you all the strength and wisdom to help those in need. I loved watching the video at the church from Panajachel yesterday!
Trish Butsch
August 28, 2017Very beautiful, Jennifer! May God be glorified through all our storms!