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Ahead of the Storm (part 3)




You wake up, crawl out your warm cozy bed, 

make your way the coffee maker and get your coffee.  

With your coffee in your hand, 

you sit down to watch the weather before you face the day.   

The weatherman tells you about a disturbance in the Atlantic.  

Overnight, a storm is looming.  It may or may not come your direction.  

You keep your eye on the storm.  

You also prepare.  

You will gather necessities such as food, toilet paper, water.   

You board the windows and sandbag your house.  

You may even have somewhere safe to go in the event the storm is too strong.  

Often have an emergency kit.  

A few things that you might need if the weather gets bad.  

Sometimes life can throw a hurricane at us.  

It's the kind of troubles and trials that we can see looming in the distance.   

These are the things that you try to prepare for ahead of time.  

Maybe you see a loved one struggling in their health 

and you can sense that storm blowing in.  

Perhaps the job you're working at is struggling financially 

and you can feel the storm blowing in.  

It may be that the storm is marital problems 

and you can feel the storm intensify each day.  

Maybe the storm is a wayward child making bad choices 

and you feel the boat rocking with each choice they make.  

We can't stop the storm from bearing down on us, 

but we can prepare.  

That may look like paying off bills before a layoff, 

mentally preparing for longterm illness or death. 

Preparing before the storm may look different for each of us 

because each situation is unique.  

One thing I know for sure, 

The one thing we all need to do is anchor deep into Jesus.  

Whatever other preparations you make,  

you're going to need Jesus to see you through.  

So you pray,  

and listen for the voice of the shepherd directing your paths 

as he speaks words of peace to your battered life saying, 

"hang on,

this is just a storm, 

I'm right  here with you, 

fear not."

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