Peace in the Storm

Peace in the Storm

This sermon sketch probably says it without my added words. This is from the 1 Corinthians series that Pastor Greg preached on. What should you do when your life is filled with worry, confusions, and fear, like a bird caught in the perfect storm? Cover yourself with the word of God, fill your nest with prayer, wait, and trust. When things are going well the peace is easy, worry doesn't strike, and things seem clear and direct. How would we know how strong God's peace can be unless it is tested in the storms?

This week I have been plagued with worry over a particular situation. Confusion and fear can slash through the skies on what seems like a cloudless day. cutting into your stomach like a lightening strike. Washing my mind in prayer held me up for a time. White knuckling my trust got me through the nights, until about 1:00 or 2:00 am. The peace would come, I'd drop my guard for a fraction of a second, and the floods of "what if's" would deluge down. 

I went to my weekly job of taking care of three especially, wonderful children. With their winning smiles they convinced me to come to the storage room so they could listen to Adventures and Odyssey and work on their Legos. Somehow having me there with them was important. So, they set up a cushy office chair by the raw wood shelves, and I sat down with my cup of coffee, feet up on the plastic Lego box. I glanced to one side and saw a piece of paper, with printing on it, taped to the shelf. I recognized my own handwriting. It was a verse I had once printed out for the kids with green marker, sometime last year. It read: In an acceptable and favorable time I have heard and answered you; and I will preserve you. This first sentence of the verse was all that I needed at the moment. Thanks, God, for planning ahead to build my faith. And the word of God finished my covering in the storm.