Storms of Life

It is fair to say the Lisa and I have endured our share of lifes storms over the past few years. Nearly 4 years ago we lost our business, which caused financial problems of astronomical proportions that we continue to deal with. A little over 2 years ago, we learned that we were unexpectedly, expecting a 4th child. Two months later we would learn our baby boy would be diagnosed with down syndrome and 2 heart defects associated with downs. At the end of that year, I lost my mother to cancer. Last April, Nicholas had his surgery, and a week later our lives changed forever when he went into cardiac arrest. He now has a litany of physical and neurological problems because of that event.

STORMS! We all bear witness to their impact in our lives. For the believer in Christ, they shape us, mold us, prepare us for the next storm. They increase our faith and cause us to reflect on our total dependency on Christ.

No doubt as you entered this website, a song from Casting Crowns began playing, entitled "Praise you in this storm". This song came out last spring while we endured our storm and Nicholas battled for his own life. Read the following partial lyrics to this song:

I was sure by now God, You would have reached down And wiped our tears away, Stepped in and saved the day, But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining. And I'll praise You in this storm, And I will lift my hands, For You are who You are, No matter where I am, And every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand, You never left my side, And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.

What an awesome picture of God's tenderness and mercy, that although He allows us to go through our storms of life, He cares so much that He holds every tear in His hand. I'm not sure there is scripture to support that picture, but I believe it to be the case.

I am reminded of Matthew 8, where Jesus and the disciples encountered a storm:

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Did you notice what Jesus was doing? Sleeping! How could Jesus sleep during such a furious storm? A storm so bad that waves swept into the boat and the disciples feared they would drown. I realize the typical theological summation of this event is How Jesus performed a miracle and calmed the storm. But as I read it, I suggest there is something more. Jesus slept.

How? Perhaps it was because He so abided in His Father's love and care that He was able to truly rest during the storm. I think there is a lesson there for all of us.

If you are experiencing one of those storms of life right now, my prayer is that you will be so rooted in Christ's abiding love and mercy that you will find rest.

I know that the next storm to hit the Richardson family is on the horizon. The clouds are gathering. I don't know when it will get here, or how bad it will be, but it will get here. And when it does, I pray that Lisa and I may find rest. Deep, abiding rest in our Heavenly Father's loving arms.