My daughter recently moved with her family to Florida. I talked to her just hours before Hurricane Charley was due to hit her area. She was feeling panicky, but was confident that God would see them through this storm.
There is nothing we can do to prevent the winds and rain of life’s storms from hitting our lives. What can make the difference? Well panicking certainly does not accomplish anything positive. Yet there is a helpless feeling as the inevitable storm dashes our lives into the temporary darkness of uncertainty. Although panic does not accomplish much, it feels like the right thing to do in the moment.
My advice for my daughter was to follow the directions of the local officials, and trust God for the outcome.
When the storms of life enter our lives, the advise is the same. We need to follow the instructions of our higher power, and trust him for the outcome.
Another thing my daughter did was to invite her friend’s family over to her place since they felt that my daughter had a safer shelter from the storm.
We need to invite others into our lives to help us weather our storms as well. Life was intended to be lived in relationship with others, and sharing the stormy times can be a tremendous strength to make it through. I am sure that as they sat the storm out, there was a tremendous bond that was strengthened through the adversity.
When life feels stormy, seek out a friend!