Surviving the Storm

Plaid-itudesBy Caleb Julin
Columnist

Guys, have you been outside recently? Have you heard the birds singing each morning or seen the cherry blossoms? Have you felt the sun warming your skin or suddenly been struck by a strong desire to cancel your plans and lay out in the grass?

 

If you haven’t experienced even one of those yet this year, then you need to get outside because spring is here, and it is absolutely beautiful!

 

However, one of my favorite parts of spring here in Tennessee has yet to come: the thunderstorms. It reminds me of back home in Florida. If you know me, then you know that I’m not much of a fan of Florida, but few things make me miss home like a powerful thunderstorm.

 

In Florida, it is pretty much a guarantee that every afternoon at 2, there will be a thunderstorm. Throughout the day, you can see the clouds piling up into large, white anvils which slowly darken to an ominous black and fill the sky. Once they have darkened, it does not take long for the sky to start rumbling and lightning to strobe across the dark sky. Wind begins to pick up and, before you know it, the rain begins to fall…and fall…and fall for the next hour or so.

 

But thunderstorms aren’t the only type of storm that come at this time of year. Frequently, it seems that the storms of life also begin to rage at this point in the school year. I don’t know what it is, but come late March and everywhere you walk on campus you’ll find students looking beaten-down and exhausted.

 

Between afternoon thunderstorms, living through five major hurricanes and innumerable tropical storms and depressions, I believe it’s safe to say that I have a pretty good understanding of what it’s like to go through a storm.

 

But maybe not everyone reading this grew up in a place where thunderstorms and hurricanes were common. Whether you grew up in an area with a lot of storms or not, I’m sure you all know that when it comes to a storm, there are some pretty basic safety tips to keep in mind.

 

And so it is that I have compiled a list of four safety tips below that will help you weather the storms that may cross your path, whether they be meteorological or personal.

 

Tip 1: The first step in storm safety is preparation. Before the storm even hits you, you want to be ready for it. Prune back trees and bushes of any dead, diseased or weak branches that could fall and cause damage. In the same way, before a storm even comes into your life, make sure that there is nothing in your life that needs to be removed. James 1:21 says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (NIV). In a real storm, such as a hurricane, a branch or even a tree that is not sturdy can break and cause costly damage. Similarly, if there is something in your life that is not supposed to be a part of your Christian walk, when the storm hits, it could cause serious damage to you. If there is something in your life that isn’t supposed to be there, then remove it before it causes damage.

 

Tip 2: Make sure you have the proper supplies to weather the storm, such as extra water or food. Depending on the severity of the storm, you may lose power, water or the ability to get to a grocery store. How this can apply to our own personal life can be seen in John 6:35 where it says, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” When the storm has passed by and you are left with the damage to deal with, will you have filled your life with the right thing that can sustain you through the aftermath?

 

Tip 3: In order to avoid fires caused by lightening, make sure you have a lightning rod on your house so that the lightning can pass safely into the ground without setting fire to your house. When you pass through a storm in your life, are you grounded in the word? Like lightning, sometimes the enemy likes to make quick, powerful attacks that overwhelm your defenses in the moment. Make sure that your spiritual defenses are strong before a storm hits. Ground yourself so that the words in Isaiah 43:2 will be true of your life when they say, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

 

Tip 4: While in the middle of a dangerous storm, retreat from windows and seek shelter in an interior room or basement, as the middle of the house provides the most protection and strength from the weather that is battering the house. When you find yourself in the midst of a storm, make sure that the place you go to for safety can keep you safe – and won’t blow away – if the wind should blow hard enough. A lot of things in life provide “fake protection,” but don’t actually do anything if tested. In a house, windows may keep the rain out, but all it takes is a stray branch blown by the wind to come flying through the glass. Isaiah 25:4 says, “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall.” During a storm, it can be easy to rely on the faux protection of glass rather than the strength provided by the entire house.

 

While I do not know what the future holds for anyone who may read this column, I can say with some assurance that abiding by these four tips will keep you safe from the danger of whatever storm may come.

 

Whenever I get hit by a tempest of some kind, I am always reminded of this fact: even the worst storms either pass or rain themselves out. Whether it is brief like a Florida thunderstorm or is more like a hurricane that lasts for longer, all storms eventually end.

 

Proverbs 10:25 says “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”

 

Whether you are currently enduring a storm or waiting for one to come, let me encourage you to make sure that you are prepared for it when it comes. It will still be unpleasant regardless, but the amount of lasting damage at its conclusion will be significantly less to deal with.

 

Let me leave you all with one final thought. One of the things I love about thunderstorms is the fact that, after a storm, everything is slightly cooler and all of the greens are much more vibrant. Storms may bring wind and hail but they also bring rain, a rain that nourishes the ground so that the flowers may soon burst forth from the dirt.

Zechariah 10:1 says, “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.”

There has never been a storm in my life out of which God did not bring something good if I let Him.

The weather report is in; are you ready for the storm? Will you be swept away, or will you be one of the ones left standing.