Silence in the storm

You probably won't find this topic among the most popular blogging forums, because it's hard.  But it's REAL.  

...Faith in God is not simply faith in what God can do. But it’s the belief that God is God whether He delivers us or not. He has the final say. And it’s our decision to choose to follow Him through it all. -Our Daily Bread 6/7

It can be very easy for me to fit my perception of God into a perfectly-shaped earthly box.  I think I sometimes forget that God may be more concerned with where I am going and the end result rather than being a magical genie who responds in any way that I wish. 

Have you ever been told that if you just pray the right prayer, or just believe hard enough, then the trials you are in right now will go away and everything will have a happy 'earthly' ending?  I have.  And it can be hard to hear those things, and then to do everything you think you're supposed to do - yet the storm still persists.

Our god-shaped boxes and genie mindsets can sometimes be mis-leading. In real life anyway.

Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in a God who works all things together for good, who brings the harvest if we don't lose heart, who is able to do immeasurable more, who heals, and I believe in a God who loves us so much that he gave His only son so that we could have eternal life.

BUT, I also believe in a God who exists for His own glory, not ours, who's ways are higher than ours, who's in the business of pursuing our hearts instead of giving us every little thing we want.  I believe we live in a fallen world - and because of that - I believe life can be hard; and not every storm brings immediate sunshine.

What do you say to people who genuinely serve God - yet their miracles don't seem to come how we expect them to?  What do you do if you're the one who is genuinely serving God but the storm remains and it seems as if God is silent?

• The woman who planned on the marriage with the love of her life...but not the divorce.
• The man who worked for 17 years for the 9 to 5, only to be escorted out with nothing to show for it.
• The couple who planned to raise a child, only to bury him before he was out of diapers.
• The couple who has tried to conceive for more years than fingers on a hand, and still only silence fills the home, no child.
• The woman who planned on a life lived long with her husband, but instead, buries him way too young.
• The couple who planned to expand their family, but instead has carried 6 children, and only met one.

The reality is - for as many people who have received their "earthly" miracle and rejoice from the roof tops, there are just as many who sit in silence and wonder why they were 'skipped over' when the miracles were handed out.  And it leaves me again saying: "God, I know you are good, and you HAVE to be bigger than all of this! There HAS to be more than what my finite mind can understand."

I could take the biggest religious words you can find and shove them into the best quote you can find written by the best minister known to man and post it on as many social media forums as possible, but it still doesn't change the fact that God is God and I am not.  It doesn't change the fact that there are real hurts in this world, and that sometimes, even in the biggest of storms - it can seem like God is silent. 

• What do we say to the people who feel like God is silent in their storm?
• What do we say to them?!?
• What do we do when we are the ones in the storm?
• What do we say when life hasn't gone as planned - and only silence remains?
• What do we need to know about God when the storms are raging?

Well, I don't have all the answers, but I am asking a lot of those questions, and starting on June 24th - I will be publishing a series of posts on this blog that will take a deep look at those questions, and study what the scriptures tell us to do when there seems to be:

...But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?" When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  Mark 4:37-40

At the end of this series, I will be posting several stories from you... my readers, in a post entitled "Silence in MY Storm".  If you have ever gone through or *are going through* a storm in your life, and it seemed like God was silent - I'd love to hear from you.  There is so much power in testimonies, and I believe that God uses our perseverance through trial to help pull others through their storms. What was/is your storm? What did you learn from it? If the storm hasn't passed, what are you clinging to for hope? If the storm has passed, when did God finally speak?  If you are interested in sharing, please contact me HERE.  You don't need to have the story prepared yet, just let me know if you are interested.

Be blessed.