There is nothing quite like waking up with someone’s face only inches from your own. Last night it was my 5 year old. With wide eyes, he whispered, “Mommy, the lightning is scaring me.” In my exhaustion, I had slept right through the massive storm that had rolled in. 

I climbed into bed with him, and I could feel his little body trembling. He kept repeating, “I don’t like it. I don’t want this to be happening.”

But here’s what struck me: he never asked me to stop the storm. Obviously, he knew I couldn’t make the thunder disappear or the lightning fade. But as the storm raged, my presence was enough to completely calm him down until his breath became deep and he was back to sleep. He just needed me.

In that moment, I realized something.

So often I come to God asking Him to take away every storm away.  Lord, please fix this. Please make this problem disappear. Please just make the hard stuff stop.

My expectations typically look a lot like that story in Mark 4 when Jesus stands up in the boat with his disciples and rebukes the wind and the waves by saying “Peace, be still!” But I have to remember that Jesus didn’t calm every storm he encountered. He didn’t fix every problem or trial but rather used them to highlight the world’s need for HIM.  

So maybe, like my son, what I really need is the reminder that my Father is with me through the storm.

Jesus promised this very thing:

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” – Psalm 23:4

The storms may rage on. The lightning may flash. But the presence of God brings supernatural peace that no storm can steal.

3 Truths to Hold Onto in the Storm

1. God’s presence is greater than the storm. 

Our God is all powerful and all knowing. Even the wind and waves obey Him. We are safe in His presence even when the wind is whipping all around us. I like remembering an old song that said, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and other times He calms His child.”

2. It’s okay to be honest.

 Just like my son admitted he didn’t like the storm, we can tell God how we really feel. It’s not healthy to pretend the storm does not exist, but rather process it with healthy friends and with the only one who can do something about it. He can handle our fear and weakness.

3.     Faith grows in the dark. 

Storms are often a refining time in my life. Plenty of stuff comes to the surface in a swirling storm that I’m not proud of and don’t want in my life. These are the seasons when I ask God to skim away the impurities just like a silversmith. While storms can be painful and isolating they are such huge opportunities to learn the character of God more and grow to be more like Him. Storms remind us that we are not in control—and that’s where real trust starts to take root.