In the Storm, not PART of the Storm

Being a part of someone else's healing is powerful. Someone else's world is spinning with tornado force. I'm wanting to step in and pull them out. 

So often with children it's easy to miss when they are being caught in a storm. Their responses are not always recognizable. It's disguised behind misbehavior, crazy frenzied activity, lying, sneaking, desperation for things they don't need and then don't even want when they get it, lack of focus, an inability to complete simple tasks... I can get pulled into that tornado and start my own frenzied activity if I am not careful. As a mom, when I am caught in the storm it can be disguised behind impatience, anger, frustration, a need for immediate quiet, a determination to be content with simply stopping the chaos and behavior control. 

Healing is God's business. I have no ability to heal a heart. This power is not in my hands. 

I have to quiet my soul, often during the day. Everyone benefits when I take a few moments to remind myself of Truth through reading my Bible or listening to songs of Truth, to pray for my own heart to be stilled, full of faith, and not caught in the storm myself. I have to pray for eyes to see the truth and not to be fooled by what is seen on the outside. Then I can respond with patience, grace, compassion, gentleness, steadiness. Then I can point small fingers to Jesus, our Great Healer. 

My Jesus once stood in a boat caught in a terrible storm, uttered "Peace be still", and creation obeyed! His heart was full of faith, he did not participate in the worried frenzy around him. His disciples did not understand his calm and thought he did not understand the gravity of the situation or the danger. But he did. He just knew he had so much more power than was in any storm. This is the Jesus on my side. This is the Jesus who is letting me be a vessel of his healing, of his stilling storm upon storms that rage in small hearts, that rage in bigger hearts. He's giving me a front row seat to his power if I'll let him move in and through me (and around me). 

"Steadfast". This is my "word for the year". Steadfast in faith for the little ones coming from a place of loss. Steadfast in faith for the kids who were already in our family and are struggling not to get caught up in a tornado or two. Steadfast in faith in my marriage when we're both worn and frazzled in the middle of a tough day. Steadfast in faith when I want to be angry and grouchy and give in to the worst in myself. 

There's only one way for this to happen with a great outcome and that is minute by minute "steadfast" reliance on the only One who has the power to still storms, to bring peace and healing to the frenzy. 

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” ~Mark 4:37-41