Human life can be filled with uncertainty during moments of disorder and confusion. A life filled with disorder, confusion, and chaos can bring about anxiety. Therefore, everyone’s “storm” can be any challenging period they experience. It can come in the form of events like loss, illness, financial, hardship, relationship issues, or job loss.
Whatever the storm may be, the instinctual response is to try and control it, calm it down, and make it go away. But the truth is, we cannot always calm the storm. No matter how hard we try, no matter how much effort we put into it, some storms are simply too big, too powerful, and too intense to control.
Just as we cannot control the weather, we cannot control the actions of others, and we cannot always control the events that unfold in our lives. What we can control, however, is how we respond to the storm. The first step is finding an inner peace with God.
The Bible acknowledges that life is full of storms and difficulties but also emphasizes God’s presence and strength to help us navigate them. While trials and tribulations are part of the human experience, the Bible encourages trust in God, reliance on his comfort, and his promise of eventual peace.
The great singer and actor Lena Horne reminded us of this fact in a movie recorded in 1941 when she sang “Stormy Weather.” She recorded the song several times throughout her career and sang it in a movie with Bill Williamson, who portrayed a struggling performer who meets a beautiful vocalist named Selina Rogers played by Lena Horne. Bill’s character promises Selina that they will be together after he becomes successful. Both he and Selina skyrocket to fame but they lose contact.
The moral of the movie is about persevering through difficult times and finding hope even in the midst of sorrow. All of us have individual choices and these choices can create chaos and consequences in an environment such as we are living in today.
Individual choices in life, even seemingly insignificant ones, can have far reaching and unpredictable consequences. So, it matters how we cope with trauma and the different ways we choose to survive uncertainty, which highlight the human capacity for both cruelty and kindness. The Psalmist request to God was this: “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Be blessed and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
Dr. Walter Ghosten
