:: weathered ::

Its strange how we don't see the benefits of a storm while we're walking through it. Instead we're quick to label them as unfair and unjust. I'm not saying they don't suck big time, because they do. But if we didn't have the storms that life brings with it, we'd never discovered the kind of freedom that comes with braving them.

The key is in not giving up. Storms aren't meant to be seen as misfortunes but as a test of endurance. I've found that it helps to remember three things.

1) You never walk alone. God never leaves us or forsakes us, however some storms may also be a test of faithfulness. He wants to be the one to help us through the mess and pick us up when we fall. We just have to ask.

2) Run to the shelters inbetween the rain. God's Word is the ultimate source of rest, refreshment and healing. And even close friends, or total strangers, can provide encouragement and support.

3) Hope can never go beyond the horizon. It may be clouded at times, but just because it isn't there doesn't mean that it has disappeared forever.

The truth is, the effects of a storm undoubtedly ripple into the future but its damage doesn't have to. Destruction is repairable. The dawn will break and the sun will warm your face again. You just have to carry the lessons of each storm with you into the next so that you can walk forward knowing that you've survived before.