Praise Him in the Storm......

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In the past, I've been accused (by my wonderful wife) of overanalyzing situations and events. In the interest of maintaining a peaceful household, I will not use this forum to disagree. To be honest, she is usually right (sometimes). I will admit that I have a tendency, at times, to allow my thoughts to fixate on a particular topic until I have "looked" at the situation from every angle. As a result, I rarely take the time to put my thoughts into written (typed) form, primarily because there are not enough hours in the day to capture the journey my own mind often takes. Keeping these things in mind, I'll make my best attempt to stay focused on my purpose for writing. I do hope that you will not be intimidated (or bored) by the length of this post. I truly hope and pray this will be an encouragement to all who read it.

I will make the assumption that if you are reading this, you are already familiar with our adoption story. Even though this blog is primarily devoted to sharing the details of this journey with all of you, we've always tried to keep the circumstances/events in the proper perspective. We understand that some of you are traveling down a similar path and are intimately familiar with the highs and/or lows each day will bring. We also understand that the rest of you are experiencing struggles/trials of your own that present unique challenges each and every day. It's been our prayer that everyone who reads this blog would be encouraged in their own lives as they see the faithfulness of God transcend the specifics of our circumstances and realize that He can always be trusted. As a result, I feel compelled to describe how God continues to draw us closer to Him by strengthening our faith and trust in Him alone.

Let me try to set the scene. Two weeks ago, to our knowledge, we were still waiting on Nathan's corrected birth certificate and for registration with the new Central Authority. The news coming out of Guatemala was not a glowing endorsement of the government's efficiency and credibility. It seemed as if the powers that be were intentionally creating confusion and roadblocks to prevent the in process adoptions from proceeding under the previous law. After several weeks of reading about new appointees, registration forms, replacement appointees, replacement forms, amparos, etc. I was beginning to become very frustrated and discouraged. After another day of hearing discouraging news and experiencing an usually difficult/busy day at work, I was feeling pretty low. As I woke up the next morning to get ready for work, I was not very motivated to face another day of the same. I continued on with my morning routine and opened my Bible to the next chapter in Matthew. As I began to read in chapter 14, I tried to maintain my focus while reading this very familiar passage. When I came to verse 22, the words began to come alive and captivate my attention. Here are the words that seem to speak so clearly to me:

"Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid."

Matthew 14:22-27

As I read the words that Jesus spoke, it was almost as if He were audibly speaking them to me. I’m not claiming to have heard them audibly, but God was using those words to speak directly to my heart. I fully recognize that the situation the disciples were facing was unique in that they were probably fearful for their lives, nonetheless, I began to closely identify with their circumstances. As I allowed the “strong winds” and “heavy waves” of this adoption process to capture my attention, fear and anxiety were becoming the focus of my mind. A couple of things about this passage have really taken hold of my mind. First, as the disciples were in the middle of the storm, battling the wind and waves, I imagine Jesus must have seemed so far away to them. As we read, though, we know that Jesus had not forgotten them and was completely aware of all that was taking place. It is interesting to me, however, that the scriptures seem to indicate Jesus did not immediately go to them. It appears that He allowed them to struggle at sea for a time before he went to them. It’s also interesting that when He got to them, He did not immediately calm the storm. He simply reassured them of His presence and told them not to be afraid. So many questions dart through my mind! Why did He not come to them immediately? What did He want them to learn from the struggle? How did He know how long to allow them to struggle? Why did He not calm the storm immediately upon His arrival?

We would probably all agree that God uses the struggles in our lives to strengthen our faith in Him, reveal His character, and conform us in His image. It’s amazing to me how God knows exactly what we need to continue to persevere in our struggles. As the disciples were engulfed in fear, Jesus comes to them at the “right” time and offers words of encouragement and a demonstration of His power (walking on water). Remember, though, the winds and the waves continue to rage on. But this encouragement is so powerful that Peter casts away all of his previous fear and asks Jesus to allow him to step out of the boat and go to Him. I imagine, at that moment, Peter was able to look beyond all of the distractions taking place and to focus entirely upon Christ. God knows exactly what we need, when we need it! He has not left us to face our struggles alone, but is simply strengthening our faith when we trust Him to deliver us. Peter simply needed some encouragement to move beyond the earthly fear and to not only persevere in the struggle, but to allow Christ to do something absolutely amazing with his life. He walked on water!

As Christ spoke those words to the disciples at just the right time, He used them to provide tremendous encouragement in my life. Immediately when I read those words, it seemed as if all of my fears and worries melted away as I focused my sights on Christ. He was clearly telling me that He was here, He has always been here, and that He is in absolute control. These words rejuvenated my spirit and allowed the peace of Christ to return in my life. Incredible assurance for someone with such little faith! Additionally, just as Peter took his eyes of Christ while walking on water, I have found myself being tempted to allow the same fears to distract me from trusting in the Lord. I find incredible comfort in knowing that even though Peter began to doubt, Jesus only allowed him to sink long enough to realize what was happening. He quickly lifted Peter out of the water, placed him in the boat, and quickly calmed the storm and ended the “struggle.”

Even though I don’t know the full purpose or duration of this current struggle we’re in, I know that Christ is with us and is telling us not to be afraid. All I can say is that He is faithful to provide everything we need to bring us through. My prayer is that this struggle we are facing will provide similar results to those found in this particular passage in verse 33:

Then the disciples worshiped Him, “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:33

I pray that everyone of you who are watching this process unfold will see the faithfulness of our Lord and will be encouraged to trust Him in your struggles.

The words to the song below seem to have a new meaning:

I was sure by now, God, that 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
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

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

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Praise You in this Storm by: Casting Crowns