[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.5.8″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.5.8″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.5.8″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https://arumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pexels-suparerg-suksai-1030320-scaled-1.jpg” alt=”storm” title_text=”pexels-suparerg-suksai-1030320″ align=”center” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.5.8″ width=”70%” module_alignment=”center” animation_style=”fade” animation_duration=”1500ms” animation_delay=”250ms” hover_enabled=”0″ animation_speed_curve_last_edited=”off|desktop”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_team_member name=”By Caleb Hennington” position=”Digital Content Editor” twitter_url=”twitter.com/arumceditor” linkedin_url=”www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-hennington” admin_label=”Person” _builder_version=”4.2.2″][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.8″ _module_preset=”default”]
A few months ago, my wife and I decided we needed to take a much-needed vacation somewhere out of state.
With flying being out of the question, and not wanting to spend a full day of our vacation driving to a faraway beach, we decided on Galveston, Texas as our vacation destination. There isn’t as much to do on Galveston Island as some of the nicer beaches in Florida, but a week away from work — and on a beach — was still a vacation, regardless of where we were.
However, Mother Nature and her two destructive friends, Marco and Laura, had different plans for us.
As soon as we arrived in Galveston, we were being told we were going to have to leave. Anticipating the massive evacuation from the island and the traffic that came with it, we rebooked our AirBnB and headed out the next morning.
Thankfully, we found an available Airbnb in nearby Austin, Texas where we could spend the rest of our vacation week.
And although Hurricane Marco weakened, and Hurricane Laura thankfully did not end up being as deadly as anticipated — despite making landfall as a Category 4 storm — the unpredictability of the storms created a very stressful week for residents of Louisiana, Texas, and even Arkansas.
That unpredictability, and the stress that comes with it, can be a hard battle to fight.
It can feel like everything is out of your control. In the case of a rapidly strengthening hurricane charging through the Gulf, it very much is beyond anything you can control.
We were certainly stressed about having to change our vacation plans. I cannot imagine how the people who lived in the path of the storm must have felt, having to leave their homes in a flash, and not knowing if they would be there when they returned.
When I feel overwhelming stress, I turn to one of my favorite verses of scripture for comfort.
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (CEB)
Notice how it doesn’t say that awful, stressful, unpredictable things will not happen to you. It’s guaranteed that they will. And in 2020? Yeah, you can bet on it.
But what Jeremiah is trying to offer here is a bit of comfort in the midst of chaos.
The Lord will watch over you in tough times. You will not be forgotten or abandoned. Even when it’s tough and the pain doesn’t make sense, you can turn to the Word of God and know that you are protected.
I know that’s a hard thing to believe in, especially when you’re in the middle of a pandemic, a storm, financial ruin, whatever unpredictable thing it may be.
But I believe that it’s true. I’ve seen the light through life’s darkest moments.
I hope you will remember Jeremiah’s words, place your trust in the Lord, and don’t let the storms of life keep you down.
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