The Storm

     It occurs to me that when in the midst of a storm, we are acutely aware of the torrential rains and devastating winds.  However, when we are watching from a distance, however near or far, we are not able to comprehend the magnitude and intensity of that same storm, the destruction being caused, the scars left behind.
     Recently when we visited our daughter in Virginia, there was a nor'easter attacking the coast and a hurricane threatening from the Caribbean.  As we stood looking at the ocean, we watched the waves build and break.  They were huge and impressive to watch.  I tried to document it, but they just looked like waves in the photograph.  When we headed home and crossed the bridge over the bay, I made a video of the water tossing and raging.  But looking at the video you just see a dreary, rainy day.  Unless you were there you can't really understand.
     That's the way it is for us when we are relating to hurting people.  We can't understand fully the tumultuous, hurling emotions, the pain that causes one's very breath to catch before it ever reaches her lungs, the ache and longing deep in her bones and soul for better days.  We can't, unless we've been there. 
      So, we must speak with love and compassion, if we speak at all.  Sometimes a hurting person only needs someone to sit quietly with her in support as the storm rages on.  Our words fall empty when spoken just to fill the space.  Love is more than that.  Love is quiet support.  Love is meeting needs when our friend can't even express what she needs.  Love is praising God, even when it hurts.  Love is being there in the storm. 
     I'm in a storm right now.  Words hurt.  They degrade.  They sting.  They leave a mark.  The problem with words is they keep rolling around in your mind like waves attacking the soft beach sand.  Persistent, they crash and roar.   With every repeat, they wash away a little more of your strength.  They erase your confidence.  They try to wipe away your solid ground, making you feel like you will slip and fall into the waves, drowning.
     You know I always have a song, and Casting Crowns has recorded a beautiful lyric I will share with you at the end.  As you listen, think about the storm in two ways.  First, as an observer of someone's storm.  When a friend, or even an acquaintance, is hurting, don't try to tell her what to do to overcome.  Unsolicited advice often only serves to break the wound open and cause the pain to resurface and be dealt with once again.  Looking into someone's storm, try to see it with different eyes.  Try to see the magnitude of the pain.  You can't possibly, but you can try.  The second way is as the one caught in the force of the storm.  It is simply stated in the song.  Praise God.  Though your heart is torn, praise Him in the storm.  That's the only way to survive.
https://youtu.be/DoqbKyeKOBI