Peace in the Storm

This is a guest piece from Elaine Garrison.

The world is a scary place sometimes. It’s a messy, unmanageable, place filled with horrifying storms that bring devastating damage, an opioid epidemic that is stealing the lives of loved ones, political unrest, wars and rumors of wars.

As a busy wife and Mom, during the day, I seldom have much time to dwell on it all. My mind is constantly bombarded with the needs of others as questions are lobbed at me with fervor. I try my best to respond to the deluge of questions and comments. “Have you seen my shoes?” “Have the dogs been fed?” “What’s for dinner?” In addition, my youngest son, with his gift-of-gab, wants to be sure I take in every detail of a new Lego set he bought, an in-depth description of the latest Nerf gun, how cool the games were at youth group, and a play-by-play of some silly show he watched. During the night, the house is different.

I am one of the night owls in the family but I do love it when I get some well-needed sleep. Recently, I was jarred awake by a phone call in the middle of the night. It’s amazing how quickly my mind went to the possible impending doom. My mind was flooded with, “Who has wrecked?” “Who has been arrested?” “Who has died?”. I grab the phone and answer it. Wrong number. Too late. My mind is engaged and racing. My heart is in my throat, beating wildly. I lie down in bed hoping to reenter sleep but my thoughts are with the friend that recently lost her husband to cancer, the poor family that lost their son to a heroin overdose, my elderly parents, a loved one battling mental illness, all those that have been affected by recent storms. I think of my sons and worry about their future and the future of our country. Staccato thoughts hammer my brain, while I try desperately to push them out. And then, there You are, Your voice like a loving parent calming a child during a thunderstorm. You remind me of whose I am. You speak to me of Your great love for me. You calm my racing heart. You draw my frazzled mind to Your word. As I get up to read, flashlight in hand, it feels like a close friend who always knows what to say. My eyes scan the page and I see, Psalms 18:1.

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my Rock and my fortress
and my deliverer, my God, my rock
in whom I take refuge, my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy
to be praised, and I am saved from
my enemies.”

I am grateful to Him for saving me from the enemies of my mind and heart, the information overload that is our planet these days. I treasure His word more than ever as it brings me peace, reminds me of His love, calms my fears, and offers me hope.