It seemed to go on forever. The 165 mph winds tore at shingles and twisted pine trees. This monster of a hurricane unleashed tornadoes and blinding rain. We attempted to get a little sleep in the crowded shelter, but it was practically impossible to rest with the sound of metal banging against the outside of the building all night long.
When the gusts finally died down, we emerged to find something similar to a war-zone. Pieces of bent metal and shattered glass covered the ground. The still air caused an eerie silence as we stood amazed the damage as far as we could see.
The two weeks following Hurricane Ivan consisted of clean-up, military MRE's, cold showers, and more sleepless nights in the humid Florida air. The memories of sweet outdoor church services and hour-long waits to fill up our gas can will stay with us forever.
It was a storm we will never forget.
You may quickly see some parallels in your own life. You may never experience a storm of that magnitude where you live, but I know you have experienced the howling winds and battering rain of life's storms. Cancer - Broken relationships - Financial ruin - Unanswered prayers -- all tempests of life that leave us wondering what in the world hit us and where can we run for cover?
"Sometimes He wrings worship from our hearts." - Lauren Chandler
In 2009, Lauren Chandler found herself thrown in the middle of one of those storms of life. Her husband experienced a seizure and was rushed to the hospital to later be diagnosed with a brain tumor. The next weeks and months were filled with wave after wave of emotion, worry, and fear. It was in that whirlwind that Lauren learned some of the most beautiful lessons about God and His faithfulness.
In her new book, Steadfast Love, she takes us on a journey through Psalm 107. Its poetic style gracefully points our focus to the True Anchor for our souls in the middle of life's tumultuous sea. Our enemy seeks to distract us by other, less effective anchors that will never survive the gale force winds of life, but God is faithful to hold on to us in spite of our wandering. She reminds the reader, that even when God says "no" to our pleas for relief, we can be confident in His love and the freedom He offers from the idols of our heart.
He is not only our anchor in the storm, but the master controller of the storm itself.
I love what she says near the end of the book.....
He is not only our anchor in the storm, but the master controller of the storm itself.
I love what she says near the end of the book.....
"He uses the adversity of the storm more than the advantage of the calm."
I don't know the current status of the sea of your life today. You may feel tossed about like a little rowboat. The waves may not seem too overwhelming right now, but either way, I encourage you to dig into this promising passage of Scripture with Lauren. I know you'll walk away overwhelmed with the all-consuming steadfast love of our Savior.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.