The Power of Loving Through a Storm

You ever been in such a funk that you have no desire whatsoever to deal with anyone else? All you want to do is go into your “cubbyhole”, deal with your issues, turn off your phone and sit there until the storm has passed.

If only life were that simple. Life can throw it’s curve balls that will try us, confuse us and test our strengths. We may look at the lives of others and be misled to believe that “they have it so good.” The storms of life are and always will be tough to deal with it. They’re uncomfortable, exhausting and oftentimes too long. So of course it’s natural to want to separate ourselves from others to the point that we just don’t want to be bothered.

Nevertheless, anything taken to extreme is error. We all have “funky days” where it may be best to be alone but it can become selfish when we are so caught up in our own storms of life that we fail to pay attention to anyone else but ourselves and our own problems. I get it, I’ve been there.

We are all going to deal with storms in our lives and many of us at the same time. However, there is so much power in giving love and being there for others in spite of your circumstances. We may not always be able to control the storms of life but we can control how we choose to react to them.

I never really understood the power of love until a few days ago. I woke up the morning of my birthday, thankful but still in a funk over some circumstances that I’m dealing with. (I love how people think that those of us who are inspirational and positive don’t deal with tough circumstances LOL.) The prayer that morning was simple – “God, things may not be going the way I thought they would, but I know I can count on your love for me. Surround me with your love today.”

That day and the days after, I heard from countless loved ones, hung out with some pretty awesome people, heard an incredible testimony about loving others through our storms and was even surprised by family and friends with a surprise birthday brunch. I knew it was God; I knew He heard me. The love I felt from that day and onward has been like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, I know it’s God for God is love.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because the love I received the past few days has strengthened and revitalized me with a new found focus and outlook on life. Life is more than what we get done, how much money we have or a vacation to an island. It also made me want to spread that love to others; I received the love and now I want to give the love. I refuse to allow “life” to distract me from loving someone else. I say this to tell you that you never know how you “loving on someone” can impact a life. It’s not all about you and your storm (which will eventually pass.) Do something filled with love for someone else in your life in spite of what you may be going through. Take your niece for an afternoon to give her mom a break for the day, cook a warm dinner for a friend, offer to buy the homeless man something to eat, send flowers to your parent just because, give your little cousin that jacket of yours that she likes, call your friends instead of texting, write a handwritten note to your beau – get my drift?

Instead of focus on getting the blessing, have the courage to be the blessing and trust God to use you in ways far beyond what you can imagine. Your circumstance may not change over night, but you are taking back your power by no longer allowing your circumstances to control how you treat others.

Change the prayer from God give me to God use me. The storm you’re in may be a part of God using you to be able to encourage someone else one day by saying “I’ve been there before.” Think about it.

XOXO,